EVENTS AT SEA "All the Things that Can Go Wrong On A Cruise" 2013 |
The
table below lists "events at sea" occurring after January 1, 2013,
including cruise ship accidents. It is based on media reports,
passenger reports posted at on-line boards and discussion groups, and
reports sent to Cruise Junkie.
In
reviewing the information, please keep in mind that
some cruise lines are given less scrutiny by the media than others, and
it is not uncommon for events to not appear in the media. This
information reflects only that which has made it into the public
domain.
Have you been onboard
during an "event" or illness outbreak?
Let me know, and send
along
photos or video if you have them.
|
Date |
Ship Cruise Line |
Event |
Type of Incident |
| May 22 | Azura P&O Cruises |
We received an email from a reader reporting a fire onboard the ship on a recent cruise. The day after postiong the item we received the following email from the Director of Public Relations at P&O: "I have just had a look at the Cruise Junkie site and see there is a comment about an alleged fire on P&O Cruises Azura. Having checked with the ship and all senior officers as well as our shoreside team there was no such incident. I would be very grateful if you could remove from the site." I responded that I would contact the person who originally reported the incident for additional information and would remove the item by mid-morning the next day if I couldn't garner additional details. In response I received the following from P&O Cruises' Director of Public Relations: "It is irresponsible journalism to leave the story up while you attempt to corroborate it. As this is such a serious matter we have no choice but to reserve our right to take further steps, up to and including legal action, in the event the posting isn't removed." | ??? |
| May 21 | American Spirit American Cruise Line |
Peninsula Daily News report security has been increased for this week's fourth visit of the American Spirit in response to vandalism in which two mooring lines to the cruise ship were cut last week. According to Port Townsend Police Capt. Don Johnson, two people approached the American Spirit at about 1:30 a.m. last Thursday. They attempted to come on board but were turned away. A few minutes later, crew members discovered that two of three mooring lines were severed. The lines were reattached, and police were called. Police Department spokesman Officer Luke Bogues said that on the night following the initial incident, the crew reported that three additional mooring lines were cut, adding up to a total damage estimate of more than $1,000. | Vandalism |
| May 20 | Serenissima Noble Caledonia |
Oban Times reports a ship went aground on the Corran Ledge on Monday evening,May 20 2013,in Oban Bay near St Columba’s Cathedral. It would appear that the 87-metre MS Serenissima,which was recently refurbished by Serenissima Cruises and is out to charter currently to Noble Caledonia,went the wrong way round a navigation buoy,as she encountered the MV Isle of Mull ferry,when she entered Oban Bay in Argyll from the north. All 112 people on the ship remained on board and no-one was believed to be injured in the incident. The initial attempt to refloat the ship using its own engine,with Oban lifeboat pulling from astern,failed because of strong winds blowing the ship towards the shore. High tide was not due until around midnight but it was hoped to tow the vessel off around 10.30pm. | Aground |
| May 20 | Disney Dream Disney Cruise Line |
WKMG-TV reports more than two hours before the ship left port last August, a Disney Cruise Line crewmember was captured on ship surveillance video molesting an 11-year-old girl in an elevator – a crime Disney Cruise Line said it believes it must by law report immediately. But a Local 6 investigation reveals the incident was not reported until the next day, long after the ship had slipped out of port, enabling the 33-year-old suspect to evade investigation and prosecution by Florida authorities. Disney Cruise Line at first claimed last week it did report the crime while the ship was still in port on Aug. 5. Then, after being told by Local 6 and Port Canaveral police that was not true, the cruise line changed its account.Company officials then claimed employees did not know until the next day that a crime was committed. All they knew on Aug. 5, they claim, was that the child was made to feel “uncomfortable,” according to statements by the cruise line to both Local 6 and the Port Canaveral police. But, based on surveillance video and a confidential Disney Cruise Line security incident report obtained by Local 6, that also appears to be false. The report reveals cruise line security began its investigation of the molestation – which it called an “inappropriate sexual act” -- at 3:22 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 5. The child promptly told security the man had repeatedly grabbed her breast through her clothes and forcibly kissed her on the mouth as he cornered her in an elevator on the Disney Dream. She “began to cry,” the report stated, as she relayed how the crew member “went like this,” grabbing her breast, and “then went like this,” demonstrating a second groping before “he kiss me here and he put mouth on my mouth.” Such an attack, even through clothing, is under Florida law a lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, a felony punishable by 25 years to life in prison. But the company’s own confidential incident report provides more evidence that is not true. Eight minutes after the molestation -- and two hours before the ship departed -- the victim and her grandmother emerged from the elevator at 3:03 p.m. and headed toward the guest services counter, where they reported the incident. Security was contacted and initiated the investigation at 3:22 p.m., followed promptly by the child relaying the criminal allegations to a cruise security officer. At 3:57 p.m., the 11-year-old from Brazil led the officer to the spot where she encountered the suspect and “appeared to be uncomfortable when she walked me to the elevator where (the crew member) touched and kissed her,” the officer wrote in her report. The security officer then retrieved and reviewed the video of the elevator lobby outside the car where the attack occurred and confirmed the actions of a uniformed crew member were consistent with the 11-year-old’s retelling of the story. At 4:48 p.m., the video was shown to a dining manager, who identified the suspect by name and position, a dining room server from India. At 5:02 p.m., the Disney Dream left its berth at Port Canaveral, as if nothing criminal had occurred. The suspect continued to roam the ship until 7:50 p.m., when he was called to the security office and, under questioning, denied molesting the girl, according to the DCL report. He was then “removed from the floor” and, apparently, kept from encountering children. After another unsuccessful attempt to get him to confess on Aug. 6, he was questioned after the ship arrived in Nassau on Aug. 7 by Bahamian authorities, who assumed jurisdiction of the investigation because the Disney Dream is flagged in the Bahamas. In a statement to Bahamas Police, the suspect, Milton Braganza, finally admitted “I touched her on her right breast with my left hand.” But by then – two days into a five-day Disney cruise – the victim’s grandmother had decided she did not want the crime investigated. DCL would not say if it refunded any or all of the family’s cruise expenses. Had Florida law enforcement immediately been informed of the potential life felony and found probable cause, Hellebrand said the suspect would have been arrested, regardless of a victim’s grandmother’s wishes. Cruise Law News reports Disney flew the crew member home to India, at the cruise line's expense, rather than arrange for him to return to Florida to be arrested. | Sexual assault of minor |
| May 17 | Unknown | Cayman Compass reports a 63-year-old cruise ship passenger died Thursday after getting into difficulty while snorkeling with friends off Eden Rock in George Town. Emergency medical staff administered CPR and the man was taken to the Cayman Islands Hospital in George Town where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. | Pax dies snrokeling |
| May 17 | Louis Joliet AML Cruise Company |
CTV News reports nobody was injured when the MV Louis Joliet cruise ship carrying 57 passengers ran aground on Thursday afternoon near Orleans Island near Quebec City. The passengers and roughly 20 crew mates were evacuated and shipped onto another vessel to the Quebec City port while a tugboat worked at pulling the MV Louis Joliet back into open waters. Alexandre Morin-Bernard of the AML Cruise ship company, which owns the MV Louis Joliet, said that the accident occurred when the ship's hull made contact with the bottom of the waterway. The extent of the damage remains to be determined. The ship left the Chouinard dock in Quebec City at 1 p.m. to visit Orleans Island and Montmorency Falls. The ship got stuck near the western tip of the island at 2:50 p.m. Morin-Bernard said that it was the first accident of its kind for AML Cruises, which has operated on the St. Lawrence River for 40 years. | Aground |
| May 14 | American Spirit American Cruise Line |
Peninsula Daily News reports the threat of high winds and rough seas in eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca late Monday have again delayed the arrival of the ship; it docked at City Pier around 10 this morning, roughly 12 hours later than originally scheduled. It was decided to keep the vessel and its 50 passengers in port in Friday Harbor on Monday after forecasts called for 25-35 mph winds and 4-6 foot seas in the eastern Strait. The ship will stay in Port Townsend all day Thursday and leave for Poulsbo at about 4 a.m. Friday. The stops in Port Angeles and Port Townsend are part of an eight-day Puget Sound cruise that begins and ends in Seattle. | Delayed arrival |
| May 13 | Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line |
The Royal Gazette reports two American cruise ship passengers were fined $1,000 each at Magistrates’ Court today after being found with cannabis in their cabins. In separate cases, Edwin Berg and Stephen Caron, both 53, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug. Prosecutor Garrett Byrne told the court that HM Customs boarded the ship at Dockyard on Sunday. They searched Berg’s cabin and found a clear plastic bag containing 13 grams of cannabis. The prosecutor said the offence admitted by Caron was on the same day on the same ship in “very similar circumstances”. He said customs officers spoke to the defendant, who said he had marijuana in his cabin. They found a glass case containing a clear plastic bag with five grams of cannabis inside. Duty defence counsel Oonagh Vaucrosson said the cannabis was “prescribed medically for chronic pain” and Caron “apologies profusely”. Both men were told to pay $1,000 or face 100 days in jail. | Drug busts |
| May 12 | Lady von Busum | The Daily Mail reports this German passenger ferry got stuck on a sandbank, landing on the beach near the small island of Trischen in Germany, and left high and dry as the tide went out. The 136 passengers had to wait for eight hours before rescuers arrived to take them home. But the ship's crew had to remain on board and wait until the tide came back and they were then able to get the ship free under its own steam. |
Grounded |
| May 9 | Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Lines |
The Australian reports a major search has been launched off the New South Wales coast for a young couple missing overboard from a cruise ship. The alert was issued after the cruise ship Carnival Spirit docked in Sydney today after a 10-day Pacific voyage. Authorities were unable to find a 30-year-old man and 27-year-old woman, who had been travelling with family and friends. NSW Police Marine Area Commander Mark Hutchings said CCTV images from the ship indicated the pair went overboard from a deck about halfway up the ship's side about 8.50pm last night. He said it was too early to say whether they jumped or fell overboard, although it is understood their disappearance is not regarded as suspicious. He said no one among the 2680 people on the cruise ship was known to have witnessed the incident. Police say the marine search stretches from Sydney Harbour to Newcastle. Police and Australian Search and Rescue have pinpointed a search area about 60 nautical miles east of Forster on the state's mid-north coast. | Two pax overboard |
| May 9 | Celebrity Millennium Celebrity Cruises |
The CDC reports 101 of 1963 passengers (5.15%) and 14 of 935 crew (1.50%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. CDC Vessel Sanitation Program officers are monitoring the outbreak and providing support to both the ship and the cruise line. Specimens will be sent to the CDC lab for testing. The ship is on a 16 day cruise ending in Seward on May 10. UPDATE May 11: 123 of 1963 passengers (6.28%) and 16 of 935 crew (1.71%) May 14: Seward Daily News reports the numbers are 164 of 1973 passengers and 30 of 935 crew. | Illness |
| May 8 | Allure of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
From a passenger: The ship had a 1 hour delayed arrival to Falmouth, Jamaica due to the ship rescuing 2 people in the early hours who had been stranded at sea for 3 days. | Delay |
| May 8 | Norwegian Sky Norwegian Cruise Line |
I normally don't report on medical evacuations, but this account from a passengerseemed worth sharing: We were on the May 3-6 cruise to the Bahamas and a few hours after we left Miami we had to turn around and go back because a male passenger was trying to jump from an upper deck into the pool and hit his head on the side of the pool. Witnesses said he had blood pouring out of his nose and ears and the pool was shut down. His injuries were so serious that we immediately went back to port and he was transported by ambulance to the hospital.Another passenger writes:At 7:00pm a passenger climbed over the handrail surrounding the basketball court to jump into the pool. I was eating in a restaurant behind the pool when an eye witness ran in yelling, "call 911 a guy is dead, stop the boat." Shortly after a code alpha was called over the speaker and then the captain announced that due to a medical emergency the ship was returning to Miami. After the individual was taken off the ship, it continued its route and didn't effect the rest of the cruise. | Dumb passenger tricks / delay |
| May 7 | Ship-unknown of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Cruise Law News reports on an interesting blog article by a thirty-three year old woman who sailed aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship out of Tampa with her long time boyfriend. Around 2:00 AM one night, she craved a cigarette and proceeded to an upper deck to smoke and look at the stars. She encountered a naked man masturbating. He stalked her. She ran from the deck terrified. She immediately told crew members involved in cleaning a lower deck what happened. She then proceeded to the deck four service desk and made an official report of what happened. The article is about the indifferent, casual and almost bemused response of the cruise line to her ordeal. The comments to her frightening personal experience are revealing. Some comments seem to be from crew members accusing her of being hysterical and essentially telling her to "get over it." | Scary behaviour / stalking |
| May 7 | Discovery Cruise and Maritime Voyages |
Liverpool Daily Post reports the ship, due to depart from Liverpool today, had to be brought in for a deep clean after passengers became ill. It was on a round Great Britain cruise last week, when several couples were struck down by a stomach bug resulting in the Port Health Authority being called in.The ship was expected to embark for a Norwegian cruise at 6.30pm, but that has been delayed until 10.30pm while a deep clean is carried out. The delay will mean a slight adjustment to the itinerary so we will be missing the Shetland ponies at Lerwick but will be going to Kirkwall. | Illness / Delay / Itinerary change |
| May 6 | Carnival Sunshine Carnival Cruise Lines |
USA Today reports the ship (previously Carnival Destiny) which set sail today for the first time since a two-and-a-half month, $155 million overhaul in dry dock, is experiencing problems with some cabins as well as the closure of elements of its top decks because of unfinished work, according to passengers on the vessel. A spokeswoman for Carnival says the ship's new WaterWorks water park and SportsSquare recreational area are "still undergoing final finishing work," and the ship's main Lido pool is closed due to "technical issues." The overhaul of the 17-year-old ship included the addition of a partial deck and the expansion of two other decks. The makeover brought the ship 182 new cabins as well as new eateries, lounges and deck-top amusements. | Various problems |
| May 6 | Crystal Symphony Crystal Cruises |
The CDC reports 125 of 816 passengers (15.31%) and 22 of 571 crew (3.85%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in Los Angeles on May61, 2013 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on an 8 day cruise. | Illness |
| May 2 | Coral Princess Princess Cruises |
Citing Cruise Critic, Cruise Law News reports there was a fire aboard the ship last night. Comments indicate that there was a great deal of smoke but the fire was extinguished without injury to passengers or crew. There is conflicting information regarding exactly where the fire occurred. There is a mention of the fire being on deck 9, although the heading to the comments refers to what is described as an "engine room fire. (See Cruise Critic) | Fire |
| May 2 | Volendam Holland America Line |
CBC reports passengers getting off a cruise from Asia to Vancouver this morning say they had to deal with an outbreak of norovirus during the month-long voyage. Passenger Jim Ball told CBC News that during the 31-day cruise, pools and hot tubs were drained, and shared books kept off limits as the crew tried to contain the norovirus outbreak. "They're right behind you with a soapy rag, cleaning up the table," said Ball. Holland America cruise line reported 28 guests and one crew member — 2.37 per cent of the 1,222 people on board — were sick over the course of the sailing, which included stops in Alaska. The ship has a maximum capacity of 1,432 passengers and 647 crew. At three per cent, Health Canada could launch a full investigation. But passenger Faye Richards said the problem appeared worse to those onboard. "It had to be quite high, because it seemed like you would never sit at a table at dinner without someone having had it," said Faye. After the passengers disembarked, the decks were scrubbed and the ship was fully sanitized. It departed on a week-long cruise to Alaska at 5 p.m. | Illness |
| May 2 | Veendam Holland America Line |
The CDC reports 60 of 1237 passengers (4.85%) and 10 of 574 crew (1.74%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers will board the ship on arrival in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on May 1, 2013 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a 21 day cruise. | Illness |
| April 28 | Costa Favolosa Costa Cruises |
Times of Malta reports nearly 4,000 cruise passengers were forced to abort their day trip to Malta yesterday morning after strong winds buffeting the Grand Harbour forced the Costa Favolosa to head to Catania. The cruise liner’s captain Giulio Valestra decided not to risk the safety of passengers and crew and headed to the Sicilian coast after spending 45 minutes outside the Grand Harbour’s breakwater. Passengers aboard the liner spent another day of cruising before the Costa Favolosa docked at Catania at about 4pm yesterday. According to Malta Maritime Pilots Cooperation chief pilot Jesmond Mifsud, the redirection to another port was not common. Orange Travel Group, the sales agents for Costa, made arrangements to charter an aircraft to transport the 150 passengers who were due to disembark in Malta. They arrived last night. Arrangements were also made to fly out the passengers waiting to board the liner from Malta to Catania Airport, where coaches stood by to ferry them to the port. It will be heading to Naples today. | Itinerary change |
| April 25 | Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line |
Palm Beach Post reports a Bahamas woman is facing federal drug charges today after border patrol authorities at the Port of Palm Beach found cocaine in her luggage. Mechelle Tondeleah Clarke, who is in her mid-20s, last week traveled on the Celebration Cruise Line from the Bahamas to the port located in Riviera Beach. After arriving April 20, Clarke handed over her suitcase to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for inspection. Inside a “secret compartment” in the luggage was a package of cocaine, according to a federal criminal complaint filed Monday. The package of cocaine was wrapped in a type of gift wrap, authorities described. The cocaine weighed about 2.25 kilograms. Clarke allegedly told authorities that she was given the package by someone in the Bahamas. That person, whose name was not in the criminal complaint, offered her between $2,000 and $3,000 for transporting the package to an address in West Palm Beach. Authorities didn’t release that address. Clarke allegedly said that while she knew the package contained drugs, she didn’t know what type of drug and she didn’t know how much of the drug was inside. She faces a charge of possession with intent to distribute in excess of 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine | Drug bust |
| April 24 | Nile Festival Egyptian Riverboat | Al-Ahram reports a Nile cruise ship went up in flames near the Upper Egyptian city of Aswan on Wednesday. There were no casualties reported among the 84 guests and 79 crew on board. The floating hotel run by a UK based company, was stationed at Edfu near Aswan when a short-circuit in the ship's kitchens sparked the fire. The tourists were visiting the temple of the ancient Egyptian site of Edfu when the fire occurred, and were relocated to nearby cruise ships, according to Al-Ahram, which also reported that there were no injuries or casualties among the 79 crew members. Firefighters managed to save the belongings of the guests before the fire reached their rooms. | Fire |
| April 23 | SuperStar Gemini Star Cruises |
English Eaast Day reports the ship was towed into Shanghai Wusong Port about 1am yesterday after its propellers became entangled in fishing nets, causing the ship to lose power. All its passengers and crew were safe. The SuperStar Gemini, headed for South Korea, got stuck at the mouth of the Yangtze River on Saturday. | Power loss |
| April 23 | Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Cruises |
The CDC reports 183 of 2849 passengers (6.42%) and 2 of 1188 crew (0.18%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. A CDC Vessel Sanitation Program enviro the ship nmental health officer and an epidemiologist will board the ship on arrival in Honolulu, Hawaii on April 26, 2013 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on an eighteen day cruise. | Illness |
| April 23 | Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Cruises |
Sun Sentinel reports a 27-year-old cruise ship crew member was arrested as he disembarked the ship on Saturday. Huanhuan Shen -- a Chinese national -- was accused of stealing cash from two of his co-workers, the arrest report stated. Shen went into a cabin, found a key, opened a safe, and took $4,600 belonging to crew mate Yang Zhang. Moments later, Shen opened another safe and took $3,300 from cabin-mate Zhibao Dong before placing the safe keys back in the drawers where he found them, the report stated. Surveillance video aboard the ship showed Shen in the cabin area just before the robberies. Records also showed his electronic access card was used to enter the cabin that he shared with Zhang and Dong. | Theft |
| April 18 | Unnamed | 7 News Belize reports 74 year-old American Douglas McCleary, a Christian Minister residing in Washington, had to pay just under a $1,000 today after he was busted with weed while on vacation. According to police, McCleary arrived this morning on one of the Cruise Ships and took a tour to Altun Ha. But before he could board the tendering boat back to ship, one of the tourism police searched him and found a pipe and 0.23 ounces of weed in his pockets. The officer became suspicious because he smelled the strong aroma of marijuana on McCleary. As a result, he was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled drug and possession of a pipe. He was arraigned this afternoon before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart, where he pleaded guilty explaining that he uses the marijuana for his prostate cancer. As a result, Magistrate Stuart sentenced him to pay fines to a total of $910, which he indicated that he would be able to pay. Police officers escorted him to the Belize Bank ATM where he claimed that he was able to withdraw the money to pay the bank. | Drug bust |
| April 18 | Jewel of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Tampa Bay Times reports between 9 and 10 a.m., two dogs trained to detect explosives smelled something suspicious in a pallet of liquor bound for the ship, prompting an evacuation of the cruise's check-in terminal for several hours, sending hundreds of passengers back into the city, delaying the ship's departure, and locking down several nearby schools. But at the end of a four-hour search that involved a bomb robot, more law enforcement dogs and technicians in heavy bomb suits, authorities found nothing suspicious. About 3 p.m., the terminal was reopened, and the check-in process resumed. | Bomb scare |
| April 18 | Carnival Ecstasy Carnival Cruise Lines |
11 Alive reports the ship has experienced a power failure at sea. The power outage occurred late Wednesday and only lasted for about 12 minutes, the line says in a statement sent to USA TODAY. The statement does not give a cause for the power loss, but Orlando's News 13 is reporting that it has been contacted by passengers on the ship who say there was an engine fire on board. The ship was sailing off the coast of Florida at the time of the incident. "All hotel services and propulsion were quickly restored," the Carnival statement says. The ship is heading back to its home port of Port Canaveral, Fla., where it had been scheduled to return early this morning after a five-day cruise that began on Saturday. The vessel is expected to arrive several hours late. | Power loss |
| April 17 | Multiple ships | The Tribune in Bahamas reports cruise officials are concerned that crime levels in New Providence – in particular downtown Nassau – are escalating at a pace no longer safe for passengers, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe said yesterday. While visitors have not yet been advised to remain on board ship, the Minister said they have been cautioned to take proper safety measures and be informed of previous instances of crimes against tourists. The concerns, he said, were raised last week in a meeting by several executives. His announcement also came just moments after Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade reported that the latest overall crime numbers were down. Speaking with The Tribune outside the Cabinet office, Mr Wilchcombe said the Ministry of Tourism has to now take a serious approach at ensuring that visitors are safe in the Bahamas. “They are concerned about (crime),” he said , “and they are very reluctant to advise in some instances because of what has happened in the past, particularly to the crew members. “They are telling them not to go out or only attend Senior Frogs. A lot of the young folks go there. At all times I think it is imperative for us as the host country to make sure that we have necessary security in place to protect the guests. | Visitors beware |
| April 17 | Sapphire Princess Princess Cruises |
San Bernardino Sun reports five Indonesian nationals working on the ship disappeared earlier this month after disembarking at the Port of Los Angeles, officials said. The crew members failed to return to the ship on April 6 for the beginning of a weeklong cruise along the California and Mexican coast. Law enforcement officials were not able to find them during a search of the nearby area, Ruiz said. A spokeswoman for the company, confirmed the incident. | Crew jump ship |
| April 16 | Allure of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Courthouse News reports on a case where a woman was kept under guard in her room for days after her daughter fell overboard and died, and wouldn't even let her go to the chapel to pray, the mother claims in court. Vera Marion claims the cruise line didn't even bother to turn the ship around to look for her 21-year-old daughter until 2 hours after she fell overboard. On the night of Sept. 16, 2012, only several hours into the voyage, twenty-one year-old A'riel Marion somehow fell overboard," the complaint states. Immediately after A'riel fell overboard, a passenger from the deck below the Marions' cabin reported to the ship's crew that something had fallen and hit her from above while she was out on her balcony. On information and belief, the passenger's '911' call on the ship's internal phone system was made at approximately 9:30 p.m. EST." Sometime after he daughter fell, "three crew members approached her, took hold of her, and physically escorted her from the casino to question her about the whereabouts of her daughter," the complaint states. "Upon being informed by the crew members that her daughter may be missing, Vera Marion tried to leave to go find her, but the crew members physically restrained her and prevented her from leaving. "After having been detained for some time in this manner, a high-ranking crew member in her presence made an announcement over the ship's radio that there was a person overboard. "Notwithstanding this knowledge, the ship did not stop or begin to turn around in a timely or appropriate fashion to attempt to search for and rescue A'riel Marion for approxiately two hours. "For the remainder of the cruise, crew members did not permit Vera Marion to leave the cabin or travel anywhere about the ship without the presence of security. They did not permit her to receive guests or messages that her associates had apparently left her or to contact them. They did not even allow her to go to the chapel on board the ship to pray for her daughter's well-being." The crew forced her to leave her cabin door unlocked, and "as a result, male crew members walked in on Vera Marion unannounced while she was undressed, on several occasions," she adds. Marion, who also has two sons, says that despite her pleas, "Royal Caribbean made public that a twenty-one year-old woman from Bartlett, Tennessee went overboard. "Vera Marion's boys learned of this news from home and attempted unsuccessfully to contact their mother to ask if it was A'riel who went overboard. | Lawsuit for being detained |
| April 15 | Carnival Cruise Lines | Bowing to negative publicity and considerable pressure from members of Congress, Carnival Corporation said Monday that it would repay the federal government an unspecified amount for responding to accidents on its Triumph and Splendor cruise ships, which left thousands of passengers stranded at sea. Carnival, the world’s largest cruise line company, said that the payments were being made voluntarily and that no government agency had requested them. But Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, Democrat of West Virginia, was highly critical last week of Carnival’s indirect responses to his inquiries about its willingness to pay. Mr. Rockefeller, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, estimated the Coast Guard’s costs in dealing with the crippled Triumph this year at nearly $780,000. The 2010 engine fire that left the Splendor adrift, he said, cost the Coast Guard and Navy about $3.4 million. (See Associated Press) | Reimburse US government |
| April 14 | Costa Fortuna Costa Cruises |
Cruise Law News reports a newspaper in Italy is reporting that six and one-half years before the Costa Concordia disaster, another Costa cruise ship ruptured its hull during a "sail-by" maneuver off the coast of Capri. Libero Quotidiano reports that in June 2005, the Costa Fortuna was sailing by the island of Capri off the western side of Italy. The Fortuna, owned by Carnival and operated by Costa Crociere (Costa), had 3,500 passengers and crew members aboard. According to the newspaper, the ship cruised into shallow water during what is called a "sail-by" or "salute" to entertain the quests. Just like the Concordia, the Fortuna's hull was ruptured by rocks in the shallow waters and the cruise ship began to take on water. The Italian newspaper writes that the Master and officers of the Fortuna did not report the incident to the Italian Coast Guard or any maritime or port officials. The officers then ordered the use of pumps at maximum effort to keep the water from sinking the ship. The Fortuna was able to make it to the port of Palermo in Southern Italy. Once back in port, Costa had the hole repaired and then continued the cruise the following morning with all of the passengers. The only thing reported by Costa was that there had been an abnormal rise in the temperature of an engine. After making this false report, Costa "buried" the incident. The incident came to light as part of the investigation into Costa following the 2012 Costa Concordia disaster. One of the photographers who worked in 2005 on Fortuna reported the incident to the Master of Palermo. His story has been verified. Investigators said that there is "numerous and insurmountable" evidence to support the photographer's account. The incident was a "real critical situation," and it was only favorable weather conditions that avoided a disaster. Another Italian newspaper, La Nazione, covered this story and has additional information. The reference to the 2005 incident is contained in a 700 page report about the Costa Concordia which focused on prior "sail bys." On page 619 of the report, there is a reference to the Costa Fortuna cruising 300 meters from the coast near Sorrento when it hit a shoal and began to take on water, "just before a greeting to the island of Capri." The impact caused a gash in the hull "deep and ten meters long." Passengers were disembarked from the ship in dry dock where the ship was repaired during the night by Fincantieri workers and set off on the morning of June 15 2005. The Master, Giuseppe Russo, did not report the incident, and the ship officers falsely stated that while cruising from Naples to Palermo there had been an unexpected rise of temperature. La Nazione explains that there was never any indication of the incident to the maritime authorities until January 18 2012, when the wave of emotion caused by the sinking of Concordia and of the 32 victims, caused one of two Costa Fortuna photographers, Roberto Cappello, to come forward. This story was first reported last year by the U.K. press. The Sun reported that Fortuna ship photographer Cappello was on board the ship when he felt and heard a "loud bang" during the "sail by." The ship then rolled from left to right. Cappello later photographed damage to the cruise ship’s keel and broken propeller blade. However, Costa demanded and confiscated his photographs. Costa later claimed that the ship had "struck a whale." | Holed in "sail-by"? |
| April 14 | Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Cruises |
Fox News reports officials on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia say masked gunmen have held up a tour bus, robbing about 50 sightseers from a cruise ship. No one was hurt. Tourism Minister Lorne Theophilus tells local broadcaster DBS TV that the Friday robbery of cruise passengers on a shore excursion in Soufriere was an "unfortunate and a horrible scenario." No further details have been released have been released by the government or the cruise line. UPDATE: Associated Press reports police have arrested one of four suspects being sought for the armed robbery. Four masked men armed with homemade shotguns and pistols held up the passengers as they toured a botanical garden Friday in the scenic southwestern tourist town of Soufriere. A police statement said the arrested man would be charged soon. Police alleged he has confessed to his role in the crime in a written statement. When he was detained, the suspect had $105 in U.S. currency, which detectives believe was money stolen from the tourists, the police statement said. Two other possible suspects were being questioned but it was unclear if authorities planned to arrest them. Detectives say the cruise ship tourists were robbed of money, jewelry, cameras and cellphones and the gunmen escaped through the botanical garden's borders of foliage. | Robbery on shore excursion |
| April 14 | Celebrity Millennium Celebrity Cruises |
From a passenger: While aboard April 3, 2013 I became ill enough to report to the medical center by April 5th, where I was diagnosed as suffering from AGE. I was provided intravenous treatment, then isolated in my cabin until the evening of April 8th. The room service of bland hospital food was cheerfully provided, I had a 500 page book to read, so my sea view recovery room was quite pleasant. The treatment was complimentary, and provided by the nicest medical staff one could ever meet. On April 9th I received a letter of apology offering a future cruise credit prorated amount for my inconvenience. Also all the missed excursions pre-payments were quickly refunded. From what I could tell, only a handful of passengers and crew had any medical issues. As an 81 year old 36 time cruiser, this was the first time ever for such an experience, and Celebrity treated me so kindly that I'm delighted to pass on this event information to you. As a long time reader of Events at Sea, I do follow everything to do with the cruise industry. Now I know first hand what an event is really like. This cruise also stopped dead in the South China Sea for three hours to attempt to correct their propulsion problem. It was actually a delightful pause in a calm sea on a warm and foggy windless afternoon. | Propulsion problems / handling of illness |
| April 13 | Rhapsody of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Cruise Critic reports a passenger was kicked off the ship for rowdy behavior that included throwing items overboard while the ship sailed in the south Pacific. The 29-year-old passenger from Australia was seen throwing two metal stanchions (the poles used to hold queuing line ropes up) overboard from deck nine April 5. He also tried to throw a chair overboard, but was unsuccessful. "Because this guest violated our Guest Conduct Policy, a decision was made to disembark him the following day in Noumea, New Caledonia, the next port of call. Passengers removed from a Royal Caribbean ship for violating the conduct policy are responsible for paying their own accommodations and transportation home. The ship was near the beginning of an eight-night South Pacific cruise at the time of the incident. Noumea was the first port of call of the sailing. | Passenger expelled |
| April 13 | Crown Princess Princess Cruises |
Click2Houston reports as soon as Sonya Flye set sail on the Crown Princess, she quickly learned this would not be the care-free vacation she was longing for. Officials with the cruise line said a blockage within the vacuum toilet system affected 410 staterooms in the aft part of the ship. Some passengers could not use the toilets in their rooms for portions of the trip. "It was quite an inconvenience," said Fonda Boyd. "If you had to get up in the middle of the night or even during the day, you had to go somewhere else to use the restroom." During that time, public restrooms were available to passengers in the affected rooms while the problem was fixed. "You had to go to the public restrooms and that would entail taking an elevator and walking a bit," said Boyd. | Sewage problems |
| April 12 | Isis (Eyptian riverboat) | Global Post reports Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency said Monday that a cruise ship named "Isis" had leaked oil into the Nile, and resulted in an area of oil slick near Lake Nasser, located by the High Dam in Aswan governorate. Minister of State for Environmental Affairs, Khaled Fahmy, ordered to survey the area, to contain and remove the spilled diesel, and to make sure there is no more oil leakage. Two marine units are working in the lake, equipped with ambulances and fire extinguishers, a representative of the armed forces told MENA. Much of the spilled oil evaporated due to high temperature, researchers said. The working groups and marine units used sponges to absorb the rest of it. The Environmental Affairs Agency recommended to take legal measures against the cruise ship. |
Oil spill |
| April 10 | Carnival Fascination Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Critic reports the ship failed its health inspection, earning a score of 84. In a detailed report, compiled after the February 21 surprise inspection of Carnival Fascination and posted online this week, CDC inspectors documented several problems with food areas. Among the violations: exposed food items on the top shelf of a buffet area were not protected by a sneeze guard; a pulper in a food preparation room was heavily soiled with food waste; the drain below a juice dispenser in the room service prep room was inaccessible for cleaning and when opened was found to be dirty with several small flies and a roach nymph near the drain. Inspectors also found one instance of a crewmember who reported for a partial day of work after the onset of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) symptoms. Additional violations were cited for several instances of corroded equipment, loose piping in the galley and missing and/or cracked tiles. | Failed health inspection |
| April 10 | Costa Concordia Costa Cruises |
Reuters reports Costa Cruises, the unit of Carnival Corp that owned and operated the capsized cruise liner Costa Concordia, has accepted a 1 million-euro (855 thousand pounds) fine to settle potential criminal charges concerning last year's deadly accident off the coast of Italy, a company spokesman said on Wednesday. The settlement means Costa will not face a criminal trial and ends its potential liability with the state of Italy, but not private lawsuits brought by passengers or crew. | Fine |
| April 9 | Celebrity Millennium Celebrity Cruises |
Cruise Critic reports an electrical issue is adversely affecting the ship's propulsion. The ship, currently on a Singapore-to-Hong Kong cruise, will be making some itinerary changes as it is forced to sail at a reduced speed until the problem is resolved. The ship was originally scheduled to call in Hanoi (Halong Bay) on Tuesday, April 9, and finish the cruise in Hong Kong on April 11. Instead, the ship will spend both Tuesday and Wednesday at sea in order to arrive in Hong Kong as scheduled. Onboard engineers are currently working to fix the problem, and no modifications have been made to the next sailing. Celebrity will provide each passenger with an onboard credit (determined by cabin category) "as a gesture of goodwill, and to thank guests for their understanding." Any unused credit at the end of the cruise will be refunded to the passengers. The ship departed Singapore on March 31 for an 11-night Asia cruise. | Propulsion problems |
| April 8 | Unknown | Sun-Sentinel reports on a cruise passenger who swallowed 2 pounds and 2 ounces of cocaine-filled pellets during a stop in Jamaica. The 65 year old man was found lying in a driveway on Christmas Eve and rushed to an emergency room for surgery after one of the 87 or so pellets ruptured. Federal authorities arrested him on a drug conspiracy charge this month. Investigators said he gulped down the pellets on Dec. 17 during a six-day cruise that visited Jamaica and Grand Cayman before returning to Miami. | Drug bust |
| April 8 | Multiple | Turks and Caicos News reports the ports will reopen today after being closed since early-March. The port was closed because of health outbreaks linked to the port, however the exact source of the illnesses have not been determined. The cruise terminal is owned and operated by Carnival Corporation. | Port reopens |
| April 8 | Carnival Sensation Carnival Cruise Lines |
The Orlando Sentinel reports a man convicted of participating in the gang rape of a 15-year-old girl while onboard the ship was sentenced in Orlando federal court Monday to 20 years in prison followed by 15 years probation. He was convicted in December of raping the teen in a cabin during an August cruise. According to federal authorities, the man and his wife were on a cruise that left Port Canaveral and were given a second cabin after complaining about a noise issue with the first. Cruise staff allowed them to keep both cabins. The teenage victim told FBI agents she and another friend, also 15, went to one of the cabins with several boys. Once in the cabin, authorities said, the man and the boys held the girl down and took turns having sex with her. The boys have not been charged. | Man sentenced for gang rape of teen |
| April 8 | Carnival Destiny Carnival Cruise Lines |
Courthouse News Service reports on a lawsuit brought after Carnival Cruise Lines got her so drunk that she fell overboard.E yewitnesses reported it, the captain refused to turn around the ship for 90 minutes, and then refused to airlift her to hospital to treat her fractured bones, a woman claims in court. Sarah Alexandra Badley Kirby says she was a paying passenger on the Carnival Destiny, which she describes as "a floating dram shop," for a cruise from Miami to Jamaica. With her on Oct. 21, 2012, were her fiancé and her friend Rebecca. She claims a bartender at one of the ship's bars got her smashed on Long Island iced teas, which he "kept pushing on the plaintiff. Moreover, to encourage the plaintiff and her companions to buy more Long Island iced teas, the Carnival bartender offered them free $5 coupons for the ship's casino. The more drinks they purchased, the more free coupons the Carnival bartender offered the plaintiff and her companions," the complaint states. Kirby says she became "extremely intoxicated," then "returned to her cabin with her friend Rebecca." The complaint continues: "At approximately 12:10 am, the plaintiff stepped out to the cabin balcony to get some air. As she was holding on to the balcony's wooden banister, the plaintiff lost her grip and balance, slipped off the ground and fell overboard into the ocean. As she fell from the balcony, which was seven stories high (approximately 100 feet), the plaintiff fell onto a life raft, and after hitting the life raft, fell 5 more stories into the water. As a result, plaintiff suffered severe injuries, including: fractured orbital bones, lung contusions, hypothermia, fractured ribs, dissection of the carotid artery, heart arrhythmia, broken optical shelves, blood clots in her eyes, arms, and legs, as well as extreme hematomas all over her body. The plaintiff fell in the water without a life jacket or a life preserver. After a few minutes, the cruise ship speed away, until it disappeared in the horizon, leaving the plaintiff alone in the middle of the ocean." Kirby says she swam to exhaustion, then floated face-up, swallowing and coughing up water from the waves that "would crash into her face." She "believed that her death was imminent," from drowning or sharks. "Rebecca, the plaintiff's friend, immediately noticed that the plaintiff had fallen overboard," the complaint states. "Moreover, people in different parts of the ship either saw and/or heard the plaintiff fall into the ocean. "Both Rebecca and the other passengers who witnessed the fall, immediately notified several Carnival staff members that the plaintiff had fallen overboard. Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé repeatedly demanded the cruise ship staff to stop the ship. Their request, however, was summarily denied. Instead, the cruise ship staff explained that they were not going to stop the vessel, until they first searched the ship. The cruise ship staff also explained that they were 'following standard procedure.' "Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé were then escorted to the Captain's quarters and/or offices. There, over the next 90 minutes (while the ship was still moving) they were questioned by the ship's security staff and the ship's officers regarding the incident. Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé repeated their story several times, and again demanded several times that the ship be stopped immediately. Once again, however, their request was denied, and the ship's officers insisted they were not going to stop the vessel until they first searched the ship. "At approximately 1:45 a.m., while the ship was still moving (and the plaintiff had been in the water for over one hour and thirty minutes), the ship's officers notified all passengers via intercom that they were going to turn around the ship to find the plaintiff." The crew found her after she had spent nearly two hours in the ocean. But "rather than treating her severe injuries, the Carnival doctors' treatment of the plaintiff was primarily limited to giving her pain medication," Kirby says. She claims Carnival refused to airlift her to a hospital, but diverted the cruise to Key West, where "doctors explained that they did not have the equipment to handle the severe trauma that plaintiff had suffered. They also stated that the plaintiff should have been air evacuated from the cruise ship directly to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami." Kirby says she began receiving medical treatment 16 hours after she fell off the boat and was in the hospital for three weeks. Kirby seeks punitive damages for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. | Lawsuit |
| April 5 | Celebrity Summit Celebrity Cruises |
The Royal Gazette reports an American cruise ship passenger who attempted to smuggle $369,000 worth of cocaine into Bermuda has been jailed for 12 years. Jane Carmichael, 52, from Hazelhurst, Georgia, had strapped the drugs to her body inside a girdle. When authorities accompanied by sniffer dogs apprehended the grandmother on board the Celebrity Summit liner at Royal Naval Dockyard in May 2012, she immediately told them that she was carrying the drugs. The drugs mule later said she had been asked by a ship cleaner to deliver the four packages to a bar in Hamilton. The packages contained 3,452 grammes of cocaine. At a sentencing hearing in Supreme Court yesterday, prosecutor Nicole Smith called for Carmichael to be jailed for up to 18 years. She pointed out that Carmichael had failed to cooperate with police in tracking down the dealers who had set her up. “The only mitigating circumstances are that she entered an early plea of guilty and the defendant has no previous convictions in this jurisdiction,” Ms Smith told Puisne Judge Carlisle Greaves. "But she did not provide any assistance with the identification of her co-conspirators.” | Drug sentencing |
| April 3 | Mariner of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
KTRK reports a man accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy aboard a cruise ship remains in federal custody Wednesday. Todd Nordahl, of Arizona, was arrested when the ship, returning from a seven-night sail, docked in Galveston on Sunday. The case arose after a Royal Caribbean security officer contacted the FBI, reporting allegations made by a 15-year-old boy on board while in international waters. According to the Daily Mail, Nordahl allegedly plied the 15-year-old boy with alcohol after inviting him to his cabin and then molested him.
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Sexual assault of minor |
| April 3 | Celebrity Century Celebrity Cruises |
Cruise Critic reports the ship earned a score of 78 in its most recent sanitation inspection. Crewmembers working while ill, food not discarded after spending too much time outside the fridge, and contaminated food debris all contributed to Century's failure. The CDC's surprise ship cleanliness exam is conducted twice a year, with an 86 considered passing. In a detailed report, compiled after the February 8 surprise inspection of Celebrity Century and posted online this week, CDC inspectors documented several instances of crewmembers sick with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) continuing to work. At least two food workers were included in the list: a cook who worked almost an hour before reporting to the medical center and a cook who worked a little more than two hours after the onset of his symptoms. An ill hair stylist also put in a full day of work before reporting to the medical center. Finally, a sick gift shop attendant worked before reporting to the medical center and then continued to work while he was supposedly in isolation. The report recommended that employees with AGE symptoms be restricted from work and should report to the medical center as soon as the first symptoms appear. Inspectors also found that crewmembers routinely did not follow the time control plans determining how long food can remain out for before it must be either stored at correct temperatures or discarded. The report also found that the toilet facility intended for use by galley personnel was locked when the galley was in service, and, when opened by inspectors, it had no supply of toilet paper. Additional violations were cited for large pieces of food debris found inside the wash, rinse and final rinse tanks of the dishwasher; dishwashing machines being run despite the temperature being too low and being told by an inspector to stop; and at least one incident of clean plates being stored under a soiled drop-off counter full of soiled dishes and covered in liquid waste. | Failed health inspection |
| April 3 | Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines |
WKRG reports the ship has broken loose from the port and has drifted across the river. Tow boats are on the scene working to move the ship back to BAE Ship Systems where it was undergoing repairs. The ship has sustained some damage. There is a hole on the right side of the stern. Triumph has been in Mobile for almost 2 months. It was towed to Mobile on Valentine's Day after an engine-room fire knocked out power. It has been undergoing repairs at BAE Ship Systems since then. NOTE: There is a suggestion on a blog that the ship is heavier than the dock is designed for.... WVTM has also reported on this ixsncident. | Broke loose - damage |
| April 1 | Celebrity Infinity Celebrity Cruises |
The CDC reports 101 of 2086 passengers (4.84%) and 17 of 927 crew (2.05%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. Two CDC Vessel Sanitation Program environmental health officers and an epidemiologist boarded the ship on arrival in Fort Lauderdale on April 1, 2013 to conduct a targeted environmental health assessment and evaluate the outbreak and response activities. The ship was on a fifteen day cruise. NOTE: This was listed on the CDC site on April 6, but was removed on April 7 -- Mistake or coverup?? FYI.... And then more than 12 hours later, after being mentioned on cruiselawnews it reappeared. | Illness |
| March 31 | Brilliance of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
From a passenger: I just returned from a cruise ... I thought I would share what I got from other passengers and crew members. 3/27 - another passenger asked me if I had received a notice about Chicken Pox. Apparently, a select number of cabins in a certain area of the ship received a notice in their cabins informing them that 2 children in a cabin nearby had Chicken Pox. 3/28 – a passenger told me he was informed by multiple crew members that a “crew party” had gotten out of hand on the 27th and that 2 crew members had been fired. When I inquired of other crew members, none would confirm the firing, but did confirm the party and stated that a number of wait staff (>15) reported up to 20 minutes late for duty in the dining room. 3/29 – There was an issue in the main pool (reportedly caused by a child) that resulted in the pool being drained, scrubbed and refilled on the only sea day of the cruise. Took them 2.5 hours to complete the process. |
Tidbits |
| March 31 | Nieuw Amsterdam Holland America Line |
From a passenger: It seems as though we had the same problem as other lines. We came back into Fort Lauderdale yesterday March 31st. Like others we were to disembark at 9:00am. We did not clear customs due to long lines and wait time til about 12:45pm. We sat on board and were told they were an hour and a half behind due to customs. When off the ship and picked up luggage, we stood in a line that looked like hundreds of passengers. We stood in the line for about 2 hours. It was the most ridiculous thing I ever saw. Finally got to my car in the parking garage at 1:10PM. And from another passenger: We were an early debarkation and left the ship at 7:15am with about 150? people ahead of us. we spent 40 minutes in line before we cleared at 8:15 and on the road by 8:30. We commented on how this would back up everyone as there were perhaps 250 people behind us as the line crawled. People were pulled from line if traveling with birth certificates. when it was our turn, supervisor came to our station and explained to our agent how to put birth certificate info in the computer and what had to be done to fill the page. May not just be sequestration but lack of training and just being unprepared [or just mad about it as they seemed just disinterested]. Stopped for gas and met a passenger who had been on Norweigan Pearl and had no trouble with customs – went right through. Such a wonderful cruise to end on a government induced down. | Delayed debarkation |
| March 31 | Carnival Freedom Carnival Cruise Lines |
News Channel 5 reports passengers aboard a Carnival Cruise ship were stuck onboard hours after they were scheduled to debark Sunday. The cruise ship docked at Pier 19 in Port Everglades, Ft. Lauderdale, but passengers weren't allowed to leave. One of the passengers onboard said they were supposed to check out around 8:30 Sunday morning, but they were still stuck on the ship by noon. According to a spokeswoman from Port Everglades, the sequester is to blame. She released the following statement: "The Customs and Immigration process for debarking guests has taken quite a bit longer than normal. It is our understanding that more than one cruise line at Port Everglades is experiencing similar circumstances. We do not anticipate any impact to the ship's itinerary for the next voyage which will depart later today. We regret the inconvenience our guests have experienced during today's debark and clearance process." UPDATE: Sun-Sentinel reports In a statement Monday, port officials acknowledged the lengthy delay for Freedom guests but said the incident was "isolated and outside the norm of current debarkation time frames," and not really due to sequestration. | Delayed debarkation |
| March 30 | Oasis of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
From a passengers: We experienceda long delay lleaving the ship. We were scheduled to leave the ship between 9:30 and 10am, but when we arrived at one of the designated departure waiting areas, we found out from a crew member that there were only 2 (yes, just two) customs officers assigned to clear the 6000+ people on Oasis of the Seas (which is insane). This crew member also told us that they were trying to call in more officers to clear people through customs. Announcements were made over the PA stating that because of recent government policies, we were going to experience longer than normal wait times getting off the boat (not an exact quote, just paraphrasing). So, basically the sequestration is screwing up the debarkation process. Once we got off the ship and into the terminal, things moved along at a decent pace. Most passengers seemed to be okay with the delay and were taking it in stride, but we talked to or overheard a few people who were worried about missing their flights. We ended up getting off the ship at around 11:45am. | Delayed debarkation |
| March 30 | Disney Fantasy Disney Cruise Line |
Orlando Sentinel reports a 4-year-old boy was pulled from a pool and airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando on Saturday, authorities said. Brevard County and Disney rescue workers responded to the ship about 3:30 p.m. EDT for a potential drowning at the family pool, one of three pools onboard, officials said. The family had just boarded for a seven-day cruise to the western Caribbean. Port Canaveral police found the boy “in distress” at the pool. He was taken by ambulance to Cape Canaveral Hospital and later flown by medical helicopter to Orlando. He had a pulse at the time, but his condition was unknown late Saturday. Witnesses said on online Disney message boards that the child’s parents were not in the pool when the accident happened but ran over while emergency rescuers worked on him. “They both nearly collapsed,” one witness wrote. The parents and two other children left the ship in their bathing suits as they boy was being removed, witnesses said. There are no lifeguards on the ship, and signs at the pool indicate this. The cruise left port 45 minutes late at 5:45 p.m. UPDATE:The Orlando Sentinel reports the boy may face "extensive brain damage" but his parents, helped by their faith, remain optimistic their little "warrior" will continue to recover, according to several social-media sites. | Near -drowning |
| March 28 | Golden Princess Princess Cruises |
Cruise Critic reports Princess Cruises began its anticipated crackdown of contraband alcohol March 27 as passengers boarded Golden Princess for a 10-night Hawaii sailing. Smuggled alcohol was disposed of as it was found. Cruise Critic was first alerted to the extent of the crackdown by community member Antsp, who posted immediately after boarding Golden Princess. "Just boarded the Golden. Any alcohol in your luggage is now being removed and destroyed. It just happened to me. Major arguments going on down on deck 4. The new alcohol policy is now in full force. Be warned." In later posts, he detailed finding a yellow tag on his cabin door telling him where to go to get his bags. Once he showed up he was told to open his bags in front of crew and asked to remove a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Champagne. Crew then placed the bottles in a large grey bin. The empty vodka bottle was returned to him later that day. Princess Cruises' vice president of public relations Julie Benson confirmed the line began implementing the new alcohol policy on Golden Princess but said passengers took it in stride. The line's manager of beverage operations was in attendance during embarkation to oversee the implementation. "He said it went very smoothly and while there may have been a few small grumblings, passengers were very cooperative and there certainly weren't major arguments that this post implies." Benson also contested antsp's allegation that Champagne was being confiscated. "Passengers are allowed one bottle of wine or champagne (champagne is NOT [Princess' emphasis] being confiscated as alleged) for free, and then they can bring on as many bottles of wine or champagne as they would like for a $15 per bottle corkage fee." Other alcohol is not allowed to be brought onboard and will be confiscated. It won't be returned because the logistics of storing the contraband, then returning it to passengers is too challenging, she added. Antsp insisted the Champagne was indeed taken and some posters pondered whether the fact that the Champagne was in checked luggage made a difference. Benson said no, the same rule applies to checked and hand-carried baggage. | Changed alocohol policy |
| March 28 | Minerva Swan Hellenic |
Travel the World with Suzie reports a tragic incident at the Salalah port was witnessed by several Rotterdam passengers. The beaches around the port were full of signs warning that the waters were very dangerous. A German man from another cruise ship, the Minerva, went swimming, was caught by a rip tide, and drown. Also, a couple from the Rotterdam hired a taxi for a set amount of money. When they returned, they claimed the driver asked for more than the original amount and the couple refused to pay the extra. The driver called the police. The couple were detained by the police. The ship’s staff intervened and the incident was resolved. I didn’t hear how… but surmise the couple paid the amount demanded by the driver. | Pax drowns ashore / Dispute over taxi charge |
| March 28 | I am often asked for cumulative data on events listed on my pages. In response to a media request I have compiled some numbers. Here they are: For 2012: Loss of power/adrift = 12; Collisions = 14; Propulsion problems = 5; Fire = 20; Technical/mechanical problems = 8; Material failure = 19; Maneuverability problems = 4; Engine/propulsion problems leading to cancelation = 4; Aground = 5; Sunk (all but 1, not major cruise lines) = 4. That's 97 incidents in one year. For 2013 (thus far): Collision = 1; Loss of power/adrift = 1; Propulsion problems = 8; Fire = 3; Technical/mechanical problems = 1; Material failure = 1; Environmental issue = 1; Maneuverability problems = 1; Aground = 3; Detained because of safety issues = 1. That's 21 incidents in less than 3 months. | ||
| March 27 | Nieuw Amsterdam Holland America Line Jewel of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
From a reader: It appears the two ships canceled today's call to Grand Cayman presumably because of high winds. Three other ships made their port call: Disney Wonder, MSC Poeisa, Navigator of the Seas, and, Celebrity Silhouette. | Missed port call |
| March 27 | Multiple ships | As already indicated previously, ships have been canceling calls to Turks and Caicos. It was announced today that the Carnival-owned port remains closed (see here). Earlier this week e-turbo news reported Carnival Corporation is telling local workers it will not reopen the port until the problem is resolved. However, local residents say they have long been aware of what is causing the virus and sickness epidemic on the deep water capital island. Approximately two years ago it was revealed that ground adjacent to the port was saturated with sewage water. The problem, sources say, has continued and Grand Turk residents who work at the port continued to complain about the stench, which seems constant at one portion of the complex. They have reportedly complained to government but no action has been taken. This, it seems, is due to the arrangements made when the port deal was agreed to by the previous the Progressive National Party (PNP) administration. The port ownership remains in the hands of Carnival Cruise Lines. |
Port closure |
| March 25 | Enchantment of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
ABC News reports the FBI is investigating a suspicious death on the ship based out of Baltimore. The ship returned to Baltimore Monday morning after a man found his 62-year-old wife dead in their cabin on Sunday. The FBI responded to the ship when it arrived back in Baltimore on Monday, March 25. They said there are "suspicious undertones," surrounding the death. The cause of death is under investigation. UPDATE: The cause of death is reportedly from natural causes -- an autopsy determined she suffered from heart disease. |
Suspicious pax death |
| March 24 | Coral Princess Princess Cruises |
A poster at Cruise Critic reports someone went overboard while we were out at sea (in the Carribean) and their body was later recovered. Around 2:00 - 2:30 Central time the Captain announced "Man overboard" and instructed the crew to their appropriate stations. The ship begain to slow down but of course it takes a long time to stop a ship this size. Sometime later we heard a page for a passenger. Then a bit later the Captain came on again to update us - he said that several passengers had witnessed someone going overboard. Then around 3:30 - 4:00 maybe (I may be off there) all passengers were ordered to their cabins so that they could check to be sure who was here. I later saw from my balcony a low flying prop plane (I think it was the US Coast Guard but I was looking into the sun and I'm not sure) circling a couple of times and more activity from the Princess rescue craft as we pretty much just stayed in one spot, occasionally rotating in place. Finally around 6:00 the Captain announced the sad news that the body had been recovered. One passenger said that they "heard" the person had been climbing on the rail, and while that is very believable, I have no idea if that is accurate or not. The person was traveling with at least one other person, and I can't imagine how they must be feeling right now. For those curious, the Captain announced we would be arriving at our next port of call (Grand Cayman) as scheduled. | Passenger overboard |
| March 20 | MSC Cruises | Crew-Center reports two passengers arrived on Monday to Lisbon from Brazil from transatlantic voyage, were arrested in possession of seven kilograms of cocaine. Two tourists, with Argentinean passports, boarded Santos, Brazil, and took the transatlantic cruise on a cruise ship to Lisbon in possession of the narcotic product. Early in the morning, the two men were leaving the luxury liner, owned by MSC Cruises, from the cruise terminal Santa Apolonia, as if they were normal tourists to make a visit to the Portuguese capital. However, outside the cruise ship the two men, who were around 40 years old, were surprised by the Customs Authorities , aided by the Maritime Police and arested. In the beginning, they were surprised at the approach of the authorities, but then subject to a search, it was detect the possession of about seven kilograms of cocaine properly wrapped packages that men carrying two backpacks. | Drug bust |
| March 21 | Carnival Sunshine Carnival Cruise Lines |
The Insurance Journal reports the ship, which is in dry dock being refurbished and renamed after sailing as Carnival Destiny, has canceled its first two Europe cruises. It will return to service on May 5. The cruise line is making significant investments to enhance its backup systems and the scope of hotel services that can run on emergency power, and further improve each ship’s fire prevention, detection and suppression systems. | Cruise cancelations |
| March 21 | Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines |
Various media report the ship, which was crippled by an engine fire in the Gulf of Mexico last month leaving 4,200 people stranded for five days, will be out of service longer than initially expected, Carnival Cruise Lines announced. The ship is now set to return to service June 3, meaning an additional 10 cruises from Galveston, Texas, will be canceled. Guests on the affected voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable transportation costs and a 25 percent discount on a future four- to five-day cruise. | Additional cancelations |
| March 19 | Plancius |
Statement from Oceanwide Expeditions: On the 12th of March at 1120 (Ushuaia time) that an incident occurred during a dive at Half Moon Island. The divers were passengers aboard the Plancius. Approximately two hours earlier, a female diver suddenly disappeared from view from the surface. A search began immediately, and the dive master and diving guide found her at 1015, unconscious and at a depth of five meters. Following her recovery from the water and after 85 minutes of CPR and medical attention by the ship's doctor, she was unfortunately pronounced dead at 1142. The passenger was a Japanese national, born in 1962. She had over 1,500 hours of diving experience including 50 dives in a drysuit. Oceanwide immediately informed all the authorities; i.e. the ship's flag state, Dutch authorities, Argentine Coast Guard in Ushuaia, the Japanese Embassy in Buenos Aires and IAATO. The staff and crew secured her diving equipment for later inspection, and made full statements. Their reports, along with medical reports and photographs, have been provided to all authorities. On Sunday, 17th of March, Oceanwide was informed that the Dutch authorities had requested that Argentina conduct a full investigation when the ship returns to Ushuaia the 20th of March, and will include interviews with the captain, dive master and some crew members. Oceanwide Expeditions and Oceanwide Marine Services, as well as the Plancius' officers, crew and onboard staff paid their respects to the deceased and have asked the Japanese Embassy , who is in contact with the husband of the deceased, to pass along their condolences. The cause of the fatal accident is unknown at this time, and all involved hope that the investigation by the Argentine authorities will provide some answers. Oceanwide Expeditions and Oceanwide Marine Services, the officers, crew and staff onboard are cooperating fully with the ongoing investigation. |
Death on shore excursion (scuba diving) |
| March 18 | Carnival Miracle Carnival Cruise Lines |
As noted below (March 16th), the ship was one that skipped Grand Turk. The following was sent by a passenger: I debarked the Carnival Miracle on March 16th and just wanted to send an update regarding an event onboard. There was a Noro-virus outbreak onboard the Carnival Miracle. In discussing with the crew they confirmed at least 2% of the ship's population were in quarantine. We were one of the last ships to stop at Grand Turk before they canceled this port of call to all other cruise ships. Apparently the Margaritaville at Grand Turk was serving tainted frozen drinks which caused many passengers to get sick. When we left the ship in New York on March 16th the next sailing was delayed 3 hours while they decontaminated and sanitized the entire ship. | Illness / Delayed departure |
| March 18 | Adonia P&O Cruises |
ITV reports two British tourists have been shot in Barbados during a reported attempted robbery attempt as they made their way to the P&O cruise ship Adonia. BBC also has a report: The Foreign Office is investigating reports two Britons were shot during a robbery while on holiday in Barbados. The pair, believed to be a man in his 70s and a woman in her 50s, were hit in Bridgetown during a stopover as part of a Caribbean cruise. P&O Cruises confirmed two of its passengers from the Adonia, which left Southampton on 8 January, were taken to hospital after an "incident". Local authorities are investigating, the cruise company added. The ship's staff and medical team are also providing support. "We are aware of an incident involving two British tourists in Bridgetown, Barbados," said a spokesman for the Foreign Office. "We are providing consular assistance. Adonia, which is currently on an 85-night world cruise, is due to arrive back in Southampton on 3 April. | Two passengers shot onshore in robbery attempt |
| March 17 | Seven Seas Voyager Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
Cruise Law News reports a passenger is stating on Cruise Critic that the ship is experiencing propulsion problems: "We are trying to make our way to Shanghai and the ship has propulsion issues again. Our arrival is delayed 6 hours due to the propulsion issue and because we have missed high tide. We personally have lost 1 of our tours due to conflicting times, unfortunately it is one that was a big motivator for this trip. They have not mentioned to anyone on board that this is the 2nd time in the past couple of months the ship has had propulsion issues. Not too impressed with the situation. As well we are now missing 1 of our ports. Sounds vaguely similar to a couple of months ago on this ship." There is also a comment on Twitter by a person who apparently communicated with a family member on the Voyager: "Just talked to family onboard RSSC Voyager. 6 hrs late into Shanghai-propulsion problem. Skipping stop in Xiamen to get to HK." | Propulsion problems / missed port |
| March 17 | Ventura P&O Cruises |
Captain Greybeard at the Daily Mirror reports the ship returning from the Caribbean to the UK, is experiencing problems with its starboard propulsion motor and has had to replace a scheduled visit to Madeira next week with a brief stop at Ponta Delgada in the Azores. Ventura left Barbados on March 8 and called at Grenada, St Lucia, Antigua and Tortola before setting out across the Atlantic. It is due to arrive in Southampton on Friday March 22 and will then proceed to dry-dock in Bremerhaven, Germany, for a scheduled two-week refit. A P&O spokeswoman said that although the ship's speed was restricted by the propulsion problem, power and all other services are unaffected. "We are working with the manufacturers and shore support to rectify the issue," she added. | Propulsion problems |
| March 16 | Norwegian Star Norwegian Cruise Line |
From a passenger: While disembarking the ship in New Orleans this morning my husband and I were alarmed to see a cabin door directly across from our stateroom covered top to bottom in crim e scene caution tape. It was being guarded by what looked like port authority officers. The crew would not tell us what happened. If you find out what could have transpired please post. | ?Mystery? |
| March 16 | Multiple ships Holland America Line |
Cruise Critic reports Holland America Line has canceled calls on Grand Turk after a number of passengers fell ill last week, following calls on the port. A statement from the line says, although the link between sick passengers and the port has not been confirmed, an investigation is ongoing. Eurodam called on Grand Turk last week, but Westerdam skipped its planned visit. Calls on the March 16 Eurodam and March 17 Nieuw Amsterdam itineraries have been scrapped in favor of sea days, meaning the ships will arrive in San Juan, the next port of call, five hours ahead of schedule. There are also reports that Carnival Miracle and Ruby Princess has skipped port calls to Grand Turk. | Skipped port calls |
| March 16 | Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Lines |
Tampa Bay Times reports the ship arrived on schedule today, however when the vessel heads out a few hours later as planned for another seven-day cruise, it will do so with a schedule change. Because of the propulsion issues, Costa Maya will replace a port of call at Grand Cayman to keep the ship on schedule, the cruise line said Saturday. | Propulsion problems / Changed itinerary |
| March 15 | Unknown | Complex Media reports a Florida man stands accused of punching his girlfriend's father in the face after the couple was caught having sex in a bathroom aboard the vessel. The woman's father was reportedly tipped off about the bathroom lovin' by a crew member. When the angry man attempted to pull his daughter away from Martin, he was clocked in the face by his younger adversary. Martin had probably been wanting to do that for some time now. Onlookers helped restrain Martin, and the ship's captain applied zip ties to his wrists. Martin complained that they were too tight, promising the captain that he would behave if the ties were removed. The captain obliged, and Martiin immediately bit his hand once he was liberated. Never trust a grown man who still goes by "Bubba." Martin was seized my members of the crew until the ship reached the dock of Marco Island and eager police officers. "Bubba" was charged with disorderly intoxication and battery. | Arrested for drunk and disorderly |
| March 14 | Carnival Elation Carnival Cruise Lines |
Chicago Tribune reports over the weekend last, the ship had to get a tugboat escort down the Mississippi River because of steering problems. | Mechanical (steering) problems |
| March 14 | Emerald Princess Princess Cruises |
USA Today reports the ship's April 29 visit to Bermuda will not take place because the wharf the ship had been scheduled to use is undergoing repairs. Princess is the first cruise line to cancel a call in Bermuda since repair work began on the destination's Heritage Wharf. Earlier today, the Bermuda Sun reported that two other cruise ships scheduled to tie up at Heritage Wharf next month -- Oceania's 1.250-passenger Riviera and the 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia -- instead will anchor off shore because of the repair work, forcing passengers to tender from ship to shore. The Sun says the repair work also is causing a change to the scheduled arrival of the 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor on April 18, and two visits from the 2,224-passenger Norwegian Dawn scheduled for early May could be affected if the work isn't completed by May 15. | Canceled port call |
| March 14 | Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Lines |
From a reader:The ship is disabled and stuck in Costa Maya on March13, 2013. UPDATE: I spoke with them last night about how this might effect the itinerary because my daughter is on the ship. They told me they did not know anything about an alteration in the cruise schedule and would only tell me the ship was moving. I called the ship to try to speak with my daughter today and while I did not reach her, the ship officer confirmed to me that they were in Costa Maya and not Belize yesterday. Her boyfriend called Carnival this morning as well and they denied the ship was in Costa Maya and called it a rumor. I can understand a mechanical issue that needs to be addressed although this seems to be a big problem with this company. I cannot tolerate flat out lying and misinformation which they are providing about the Legend. Not sure how to approach this but thought this would be of interest to you. UPDATE: Daughter contacted her boyfriend. Currently they are moving. Not clear if they made it into port today. Scheduled to be in Grand Cayman tomorrow but the cruise line has told them there is bad weather and they may go to Belize instead. She says ship is moving much slower than first part of the week. The cruise line told boyfriend this AM that there was no confirmation that the Legend had been in Costa Maya and he should not be spreading rumors. UPDATE: The cruise line has now confirmed to CNN that the ship is having technical difficulties that are affecting its sailing speed. Because of the problems, Carnival said it had canceled a scheduled stop in Grand Cayman and the ship will make its trek back to it's scheduled ending destination in Tampa, Florida. Passengers say the Captain has said he can not guarantee they will arrive in Tampa on schedule. |
Propulsion problems |
| March 14 | Carnival Dream Carnival Cruise Lines |
CNN reports passengers contacted CNN, telling stories of power outages and overflowing toilets, all while docked in port at Philipsburg, St. Maarten, in the eastern Caribbean. Carnival, in a statement, said the ship never lost power, "but there were periodic interruptions to elevators and toilets for a few hours last night. However, at this time all hotel systems are functioning normally and have been functional since approximately 12:30 a.m." The ship has full power, but remains at dock while personnel work on "the technical issue," the company said. The ship was on a seven-day cruise. It was scheduled to leave port around 5 p.m. ET Wednesday. The U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it was notified that the ship was experiencing generator issues. The vessel's emergency generator -- which powers propulsion for the ship -- has failed, Coast Guard Petty Officer Mark Barney said. Gregg Stark, who is traveling with his wife and two young children, told CNN, "There's human waste all over the floor in some of the bathrooms and they're overflowing -- and in the state rooms. The elevators have not been working. They've been turning them on and off, on and off." An announcement over the ship's public address system said the crew was trying to fix the problem and was working on the generators, according to Stark. A few hours later, another announcement was made, saying the problem was worse than originally believed. UPDATE:The Guardian reports a spokesman for the company said that the ship had a "technical issue", involving a malfunction of the ship's backup emergency diesel generator. Thousands of passengers, who were on the last leg of a seven-day cruise, would be compensated and flown home from St Maarten, it said. The ship has been forced to cancel the ship's next voyage, scheduled for 16 March, as engineers were still working on the generator. | Generator problems - Stuck in port |
| March 13 | Carnival Destiny Carnival Cruise Lines |
On October 21, 2012, Carnival said a woman had jumped overboard. The matter is now before a court. Courthouse News reports got her so drunk she fell overboard, and eyewitnesses reported it, the captain refused to turn around the ship for 90 minutes, then refused to airlift her to hospital to treat her fractured bones, a woman claims in court. Sarah Alexandra Badley Kirby sued Carnival Corp. and four people, including two doctors, in Federal Court. She claims a bartender at one of the ship's bars got her smashed on Long Island iced teas, which he "kept pushing on the plaintiff." Kirby says she became "extremely intoxicated," then "returned to her cabin with her friend Rebecca." The complaint continues: "At approximately 12:10 am, the plaintiff stepped out to the cabin balcony to get some air. As she was holding on to the balcony's wooden banister, the plaintiff lost her grip and balance, slipped off the ground and fell overboard into the ocean. As she fell from the balcony, which was seven stories high (approximately 100 feet), the plaintiff fell onto a life raft, and after hitting the life raft, fell 5 more stories into the water. As a result, plaintiff suffered severe injuries, including: fractured orbital bones, lung contusions, hypothermia, fractured ribs, dissection of the carotid artery, heart arrhythmia, broken optical shelves, blood clots in her eyes, arms, and legs, as well as extreme hematomas all over her body. "The plaintiff fell in the water without a life jacket or a life preserver. After a few minutes, the cruise ship speed away, until it disappeared in the horizon, leaving the plaintiff alone in the middle of the ocean." Kirby says she swam to exhaustion, then floated face-up, swallowing and coughing up water from the waves that "would crash into her face." She "believed that her death was imminent," from drowning or sharks. "Rebecca, the plaintiff's friend, immediately noticed that the plaintiff had fallen overboard," the complaint states. "Moreover, people in different parts of the ship either saw and/or heard the plaintiff fall into the ocean. "Both Rebecca and the other passengers who witnessed the fall, immediately notified several Carnival staff members that the plaintiff had fallen overboard. Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé repeatedly demanded the cruise ship staff to stop the ship. Their request, however, was summarily denied. Instead, the cruise ship staff explained that they were not going to stop the vessel, until they first searched the ship. The cruise ship staff also explained that they were 'following standard procedure.' "Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé were then escorted to the Captain's quarters and/or offices. There, over the next 90 minutes (while the ship was still moving) they were questioned by the ship's security staff and the ship's officers regarding the incident. Rebecca and the plaintiff's fiancé repeated their story several times, and again demanded several times that the ship be stopped immediately. Once again, however, their request was denied, and the ship's officers insisted they were not going to stop the vessel until they first searched the ship. "At approximately 1:45 a.m., while the ship was still moving (and the plaintiff had been in the water for over one hour and thirty minutes), the ship's officers notified all passengers via intercom that they were going to turn around the ship to find the plaintiff." The crew found her after she had spent nearly two hours in the ocean. But "rather than treating her severe injuries, the Carnival doctors' treatment of the plaintiff was primarily limited to giving her pain medication," Kirby says. She claims Carnival refused to airlift her to a hospital, but diverted the cruise to Key West, where "doctors explained that they did not have the equipment to handle the severe trauma that plaintiff had suffered. They also stated that the plaintiff should have been air evacuated from the cruise ship directly to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami." Kirby says she began receiving medical treatment 16 hours after she fell off the boat and was in the hospital for three weeks. | Lawsuit for fall overboard |
| March 13 | Disney Cruise Line | The Consumerist reports a passenger had dropped their 3-year-old son off at an on-ship childcare facility, where each youngster was fitted with an electronic wristband tracking system that should alert staff if the child wanders off and then help pinpoint the kid’s position on the ship. When he returned a bit later to pick his son up, he was nowhere to be found. The passenger went from room to room, but to no avail. He spoke to the day care staff and asked about the process of searching for a missing child. “He said the next step was to check the tracking band system, which would pinpoint my son’s location ... We walked over to the computer and as they pulled it up, everyone got very quiet. The screen showed my son’s band as ‘UNREADABLE’!!!.” The child was found an hour later. The Cruise Director asked what could be done to make up for the incident. The passengers wrote the Director a note requesting a refund. The Director promised them that someone from Disney’s corporate office would contact them, and shortly after returning from the cruise, a rep called. She said that Disney could not offer a refund, but could give the family a two-day Disney World park-pass with limited access. Read more at The Consumerist. | Child misplaced on ship |
| March 12 | Queen Elizabeth III Cunard Line |
KTLA reports after arriving at the Port of Los Angeles the QE3 is getting a thorough cleaning as a precaution. Prior to the ship’s arrival in Southern California, dozens of passengers were sickened by a virus during a 36-night South Pacific cruise. The cruise line said none of the 84 sick passengers (about 4% of the 1900 passengers) are showing symptoms anymore. | Illness |
| March 12 | Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Cruises |
Otago Daily Times reports when the ship left Port Chalmers about 7pm yesterday, it did so minus a male passenger. Senior Sergeant Kelvin Lloyd said police had been notified about the missing man, who had left items, including his passport, on board. The assumption is that the man disembarked and didn't return to the ship. Otago Daily Times reports the man was reunited with his vessel, and his gear, yesterday after it sailed from Port Chalmers without him. He rejoined the vessel before it departed Akaroa yesterday. | Passenger missing ashore |
| March 10 | Ruby Princess Princess Cruises |
The CDC reports 266 of 3129 passengers (8.50%) and 10 of 1189 crew (0.84%) have reported ill with gastrointestinal illness. As this outbreak was only communicated to the Vessel Sanitation Program on 10 March, no on board response was conducted. The ship was on a seven day cruise. | Illness |
| March 10 | Marco Polo Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
Sea News no one was injured when the cruise ship Marco Polo aground just outside Sortland in Vesterålen. The ship had a leak in a ballast tank and is now docked where it is examined by divers. The cruise ship was on its way out from the dock with 1117 people on board when it touched the ground outside Sortland in Vesterålen. The grounding meant that there was a hole in a ballast tank.- There was a hole in a ballast tank, confirms rescue leader Oliver Delbekk at the rescue center northern Norway to the Northern Lights . | Aground / Holed |
| March 8 | Norwegian Jade Norwegian Cruise Line |
Cruise Law News reports a 25 year old Filipino crew member died when the cruise ship was in Katakolo, Greece. The incident occurred early this morning when cruise passengers were preparing to disembark. A mooring line snapped while the crew member was standing on a mooring deck platform (at the level of deck 7). The crew member was violently struck by the recoiling rope. He was knocked overboard and into the water at the port. According to the news account, divers took several hours to retrieve the dead man's body in the murky water. The crew member was not fitted with either a harness or a life vest and he was not wearing a hard hat. |
Crew member killed |
| March 8 | Vision of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
WPTV reports the ship returned to Port Everglades today after an outbreak of more than 100 cases of norovirus on board. "Vision of the Seas experienced an elevated number of persons with a gastrointestinal illness on its last sailing," Royal Caribbean International said in a statement. 105 of the 1,991 guests onboard the cruise and three of 772 crew members experienced the illness, officials said. Over-the-counter medication was administered onboard the ship. CDC reports the numbers were 118 of 1991 passengers (5.93%) and 3 of 765 crew (0.39%). | Illness |
| March 7 | True North North Star Cruising |
Expedition Cruising reports passengers and crew have escaped unharmed after a luxury cruise vessel caught fire off Munster (Australia) this evening. The fire started while the boat was moored at about 5.15pm. Fire crews from Fremantle, Hope Valley, Murdoch and Success were called to the vessel after a report of a blaze on the third level. The passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the ship and the fire was contained within about 30 minutes. It is not known how many were on board the vessel or what caused the fire. According to owner, Craig Howson, who is travelling aboard the vessel, all passengers are safe and well. "Everyone's fine and we intend to resume this voyage and the rest of the season." | Fire |
| March 7 | Oriana P&O Cruises |
BBC reports a group of passengers has begun legal action after getting a vomiting bug on a winter cruise. More than 400 passengers on the ship were confined to cabins due to norovirus during a 10-day Baltic cruise from Southampton in December. Law firm Irwin Mitchell, representing 32 passengers, wants information on how the ship was cleaned following an outbreak on its previous voyage. P&O said it has "stringent" cleaning and hygiene processes on its ships. Suki Chhokar, of Irwin Mitchell, said: "Everyone who has contacted us for help have had their cruises more or less ruined as a result of the illness outbreak on the Oriana and all of them want answers over how the outbreak happened." Southampton Port Health Authority confirmed there were 417 cases of norovirus on the ship, which carried 1,843 passengers and departed on 4 December. | Lawsuit for illness outbreak |
| March 6 | Sensation Carnival Cruise Lines |
Courthouse News Service reports a 17-year-old girl who was strip searched, including a cavity check, on a Carnival cruise ship after dropping what looked like marijuana may seek punitive damages, a federal judge ruled. In 2011, J.G. was a 17-year-old passenger on the Carnival cruise ship Sensation, when she dropped a container of what appeared to one of the ship's security officers to be marijuana. The chief security officer ordered a search of J.G.'s cabin for any other illegal substances, during which a female security officer strip searched J.G. and made her remove her underwear and tampon. It is unclear whether the female security officer was expressly directed by anyone to perform the alleged strip search. U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenbaum upheld J.G.'s claim for punitive damages on Monday, finding that Carnival gave the court no way to "evaluate the level of discretion that Carnival has granted to its security employees in conducting searches of or otherwise dealing with passengers who possess illegal drugs onboard ship." An employer may only be held liable for punitive damages based on an employee's actions if the employee was working in a managerial capacity. Carnival argued that the searching officers were front-line employees without managerial authority, but "the fact that these officers 'follow directives and protocol from their supervisors,' does not necessarily mean that they could not also possess the discretion to ultimately determine Carnival's strip search policy," Rosenbaum said. Carnival does not have an affirmative policy authorizing or prohibiting strip searches. However, "arguing that the lack of an affirmative strip-search policy means strip searches are not authorized requires drawing an inference in favor of defendant - something that is improper on a motion for summary judgment," the judge found. | Damages for strip search |
| March 5 | National Geographic Sea Lion Lindblad Expeditions |
USA Today reports the ship hit a submerged rock on Monday, causing damage to the vessel. The 62-passenger was departing an anchorage in the Las Perlas Islands, about 70 nautical miles from Panama City, when it struck the rock, which was uncharted. None of the 55 passengers and 35 crew on board the vessel was injured, Disken-Cahill says.The ship sustained damage to its hull and one propeller during the incident, but after clearance from the U.S. Coast Guard, returned to Panama City on its own power, arriving today at 5 a.m. The accident occurred on the third day of an eight-day voyage transiting the Panama Canal and exploring the islands of Panama and Costa Rica. Passengers on the vessel were given the option of continuing their journey to Costa Rica by air and land, or returning home. All but 16 of the passengers decided to continue their journey and flew this morning to San Jose, Costa Rica. The ship will enter a dry dock at Panama City on Wednesday to undergo repairs. The next departure of the vessel, scheduled to begin March 9, has been canceled. The ship will return to service March 16. | Grounded |
| March 5 | Norwegian Getaway Norwegian Cruise Line |
Cruise Industry News reports a fire leading to significant smoke formation broke out on the cruise ship newbuilding in the covered building dock II at the Meyer Werft shipyard, according to a prepared statement from the yard. At present the shipyard’s fire brigade and members of the Papenburg fire department are still in operation at the yard. The affected production areas and the shipyard’s visitors center were evacuated As of now there are no detailed indications as the reason for the fire. “In general we install large-size safety and detection systems on our ships as early as in the construction period. Hence we could react very quickly,” explained the yard’s safety manager, Markus Wähler. As it stands at present nobody was injured. In the current situation nothing can be said in regard to material damage. Completion of the newbuilding in 2014 is not at risk according to information currently available. | Fire |
| March 5 | Kong Herald Hurtigruten |
NBC News reports the ship was forced to wait for the tide to come in and lift the ship off the underground rock at the entrance to Trollfjord where it was grounded. No injuries were reported in the incident, and a statement from the line described the situation onboard as calm. Once the incoming tide freed Kong Harald from its grounding, the ship carried on to Svolvaer, where all 258 passengers onboard disembarked and will be flown home today. Hurtigruten canceled the remainder of the 8-night Stokmarknes to Kirkenes to Bergen cruise, and the ship is on its way to dry-dock in Fiskarstrand for repairs to its breached hull. There has been no word from the line concerning compensation. | Aground |
| March 5 | QEII | The QEII Story reports the ship is without power while being "mothballed" in Dubai. This has raised concerns about the longer term impact on whether the ship could ever be used in future, and the effect on art work and furnishings onboard. For more information, see QEII Story. | Not being cared for |
| March 4 | There is discussion in Savannah about developing a cruise terminal. The matter is not without controvery. The following might be of interest to readers: If you haven't had a chance to read the Savannah Morning News story, the proposal to build a cruise terminal there presents major questions that have national and international dimensions. Case in point: Think about multi-million dollar spending at the local level against the backdrop of Washington’s budget crisis—and American’s burgeoning public debt. Both foreshadow new problems for states and cities when purse strings tighten even further in the months ahead. Cruise ship corporations have depended on investment by taxpayers for years as ports and cities have spent hundreds of millions in public funds to build terminals whose operations reap great profits for cruise lines but contribute a questionable payback to local economies. The investigation by the Savannah Morning News highlights the problems and risks facing one city as it considers whether to build a cruise ship terminal. 1)Should taxpayers foot the bill for foreign corporations that require the public sector to build their facilities? 2) When cruise line operations worsen air and water quality, deliver no jobs, and compete with local businesses, who evaluates their real costs? 3) Why do cities and states bear tens of millions in public debt to support the profits of foreign cruise corporations that pay no US taxes? 4) Who pays and who gains? Please take a look at the video. Then read the Savannah Morning News series. The problems aren’t just Savannah’s. They’re global. |
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| March 4 | In the aftermath of the Carnival Triumph I received the following from a reader: I've worked at Royal for some time. Over the last decade they have been steadily decreasing the number of marine employees. These are the employees which navigate and maintain the engines. These are the main employees dealing with life saving. If there is a fire - it's the marine team suiting up and fighting the fires. If the ship is listing or sinking - it's the marine team dealing with technical systems such as water tight doors, moving tank contents from one area to another, making contact with rescue services, lowering life boats, etc The reason for the decrease in marine manning? It's purely driven from a greedy profit view point. You can get rid of two marine employees who do not generate any income (they just play a major role in saving lives if something goes wrong) and replace them with a hotel employee such as a marketing and revenue manager, a maitred for income generating speciality restaurants, or bar supervisors. Many times employees are cut in the marine department or doubled up in cabins so the company can revamp the crew cabins into sellable cruise guest cabins. Apx 5 years ago Royal got rid of the safety officer position and combined the job with the chief officer position. There is now talk about changing the marine contracts for 3 stripe officers from 10 weeks on/10 weeks off to 4 months on/2 months off so they match the hotel officer positions. The degree of technical knowledge needed and the tremendous life saving responsibility marine officers have is in no way equal to the demands placed on hotel officers to sell another drink. When the ship is sinking - do you want a marine officer that knows the technical systems or do you want a hotel officer selling you another beer as you are stepping into a lifeboat? The marine team is also the division that has security responsibilities. As you are aware, the number of assaults onboard is no little number. There are many many problems with assaults, people falling overboard, people missing, etc. Is it any wonder we see more drastic disasters at sea than previously seen? I wonder if Carnival followed this same practice and cut their marine employees in order to increase their shipboard revenue generating employees? | Changes in staffing arrangements |
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| March 4 | Discovery Coastal and Maritime Voyages |
ITV reports the Maritime and Coastguard Agency has issued a statement following its inspection of the Discovery cruise liner in Portland, Dorset. It says that the vessel will stay put until safety issues over drills and training have been addressed. Following inspections on Friday 1 March, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has issued a Detention Notice on the passenger ship Discovery, preventing the vessel from sailing at this time. This will remain in place whilst the owners and crew undertake revisions to their safety management system." It is expected the inaugural cruise with CMV will be canceled and the ship will resume service March 15th. | Ship detained |
| March 1 | Elation Carnival Cruise Lines |
The Florida Times Union reports a Jacksonville man on a cruise died Tuesday during a stop in Cozumel Mexico. The 50 year old man was swept away by an undercurrent and drowned, State Rep. Mia Jones of Jacksonville said. Jones, a friend of the man, said he drowned during a port excursion. His body was recovered and will be returned to Jacksonville. | Pax death ashore on shore excursion |
| February 27 | Carnival Miracle Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Critic reports an 18-year-old died while at sea onboard Carnival Miracle 's February 18 sailing. Multiple reports assert the cause of death was alcohol poisoning. Carnival Cruise Lines confirmed the man's death. "We can confirm that an 18-year-old male guest passed away in his cabin at approximately 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 26 during an eight-day voyage of the Carnival Miracle, which ended later that morning in New York," spokesman Vance Gulliksen said. "The cause of death has not been determined… We extend our deepest sympathies to the young man's family and loved ones during this very difficult time." The Troy Record identifies the man as Seth Younes, a senior at Saratoga Springs High School. Cruise Critic member TRESE, who claimed to be married to Younes' cousin but was not onboard Miracle, said alcohol was involved in his death. | Death onboard (18 year old) |
| February 25 | Jewel of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
WSTP-TV reports the ship has made it back to the Port of Tampa after dense fog delayed it. It was supposed to dock at 7:00 a.m. Monday morning. Instead, it sailed in at about 8:40 a.m. According to port officials, the ship tried to come in earlier on Sunday night to avoid the fog, but couldn't. The ship was scheduled to leave the port again Monday at 4:30 p.m., but port officials said the late arrival it could cause a delay. | Delayed by fog |
| February 22 | Norwegian Epic Norwegian Cruise Line |
From a passenger: I was on board the ship last week, and they canceled the Bahamas port call because of what they said was a "scheduling error by the Port Authority of the Bahamas." There were already 6 ships in port and they could not accommodate the Epic as a result. A lot of upset passengers. They only refunded the $20 per person port tax. | Skipped port call |
| February 24 | Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Lines Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line |
Cruise Critic reports heavy fog has closed the Tampa cruise port and delayed the arrival of two cruise ships, Carnival Legend and Norwegian Dawn, this morning. The delay will impact debarkation of current cruise passengers and delay the embarkation for the subsequent cruise. Norwegian Dawn received the Coast Guard okay to head into port, according to a noon EST e-mail by Norwegian spokeswoman AnneMarie Matthews. The ship should arrive at the terminal at approximately 4 p.m. In a statement half an hour earlier, the line says that "we expect embarkation for today's cruise to begin between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m." Carnival Legend received the green light to "start the approach into the channel at 11 a.m. EST," says Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen in an e-mail. It will take several hours for the ship to reach the port. Embarkation will begin at 7PM and departure is anticipated at 11PM. | Delayed by fog |
| February 24 | Queen Elizabeth Cunard Line |
The Dominion Post (New Zealand) reports a tug boat packed with pleasure seekers collided with cruise liner the Queen Elizabeth during CentrePort's open day. CentrePort has launched an internal investigation and notified Maritime NZ of the incident, which happened about 3pm on Saturday. The tug master in charge of the Toia tug was today away from work on rostered days off, marine services manager and chief pilot Charles Smith confirmed. He would not say whether the tug master had been suspended. It was ''conjecture'' to say what would happen to the ''very experienced'' tug master, he said. It was also conjecture as to say whether the incident would jeopardise future open days. Mr Smith said nobody was injured in the incident but the Toia was filled to capacity with 50 people on board. The incident happened as the Toia was motoring up the port side of the Queen Elizabeth. The tug's funnel hit the cruise liner's docking platform, which was about 12 metres above the water line. It damaged the funnel but the tug had remained in service. | Collision |
| February 22 | Amadea Phoenix Reisen Cruise Line |
The Times Standard reports a cruise ship carrying 580 passengers and more than 200 crew members that was slated to arrive at the Port of Humboldt Bay today will no longer be docking there because of scheduling delays. The announcement is a huge blow for local organizers who spent months planning the visit. ”Of course we're all disappointed,” Eureka Chamber of Commerce CEO/President J Warren Hockaday said. “It's one of those things that you can't anticipate, and you can't control or change. I would say next time a cruise ship is scheduled to come here, we'll be very prepared.” The ship was impeded by bad weather when departing from San Diego for San Francisco Wednesday night. The large swells delayed the ship so much that it arrived late in San Francisco. Organizers, which include the chamber, the city of Eureka, the Wiyot Tribe, Humboldt Bay Harbor Recreation and Conservation District, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Eureka Main Street, spent several months planning the visit. They planned to have European tourists strolling through town to stop at restaurants, museums and shops. Performances by bands and choirs were scheduled, and tours and interpreters arranged. ”It was a tremendous effort here locally to come together and take care of them, and welcome them as much as we possibly could,” Hockaday said. “The silver lining here, if there is one, is we have a very well established group of individuals and organizations who will be very well prepared for the next time this happens.” | Canceled port call |
| February 22 | Carnival Miracle |
The US Coast Guard reports a bomb threat emailed to a Port Canaveral, Fla.,-based Victory Casino Cruises boat caused a temporary port closure and delayed passenger boarding and departure of the Carnival Miracle cruise ship Feb. 21. After learning of the bomb threat about 5 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville in Atlantic Beach immediately established a safety zone using boat crews from Station Port Canaveral and stopped all boating traffic in the port. Additionally, the crew of the Miracle was directed not to board crew or passengers due to the cruise ship’s proximity, roughly 1 mile, to the casino boat. After the Port Canaveral Police conducted multiple sweeps of the vessel and found no sign of explosive devices, Capt. Tom Allan, captain of the port, secured the safety zone and reopened the port to boating traffic. The FBI is investigating the source of the threat. | Bomb threat - delay |
| February 20 | Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Cruises |
The Marlborough Express reports Maritime New Zealand spokesman Steve Rendle said a blackout occurred at 7.18am on Monday when the ship's engineers engaged bow thrusters for berthing. There was a second blackout Monday evening. The passengers had been told there was a problem with a cable powering the ship's thrusters and this had caused the power blackout on Monday morning.The ship was towed to its Aotea Quay berth by a CentrePort tug. Maritime NZ gave approval for the ship to sail for Picton on Monday night after engineers and electricians spent the day on the problem. | Loss of power - towed to port |
| February 18 | Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Law News reports a newspaper in the Bahamas is reporting that a team of of detectives from Nassau to Galveston, Texas yesterday to investigate an alleged sexual assault that occurred on a Carnival cruise ship. Here's what the Bahamian newspaper is reporting: While the Bahamas Maritime Authority is leading the investigation into what caused the fire, detectives from the Royal Bahamas Police Force are also investigating a sexual offence claim, Assistant Commissioner of Police Anthony Ferguson said yesterday. “We send some officers to Texas to head up the investigation. The ship is a Bahamian Flag Ship so wherever something happens we have to tend it. The officers went over there this morning and should be back sometime tomorrow. They are investigating a sexual offence matter that happened on the cruise. We should have some more information tomorrow on the matter.” | Sexual assault investigation |
| February 16 | Island Escape | Fox News reports aCalifornia man has been arrested in southwest Florida on an outstanding murder warrant in the death of his ex-wife, who went overboard from an Italian cruise ship seven years ago. Lonnie Kocontes, 55, was taken into custody Friday night by federal marshals and booked into the Pasco County Jail where he was being held without bail, authorities said. He was charged with one count of special circumstances murder for financial gain, according to Farrah Emami, a spokeswoman for the Orange County District Attorney's office. Kocontes' ex-wife, Micki Kanesaki, plunged into the Mediterranean on May 26, 2006, off the Island Escape, which was sailing between Sicily and Naples. Her body washed ashore the next day in Calabria in southwest Italy. Kanesaki, 52, was sharing a cabin with Kocontes, her ex- husband. They divorced in 2002 after six years of marriage but lived together in their Mission Viejo, Calif., home until 2005, court records showed. Kanesaki left the cabin around 1 a.m. to get a cup of tea, Andy Furlong, a spokesman for ship owner Island Cruises, said at the time. Kocontes, a lawyer, reported her missing after he woke up and couldn't find her after a search, Furlong said. Italian police boarded the ship, seized records and videotapes and took statements from the crew. Prosecutors said Saturday that Kocontes strangled Kaneski to death on board the ship and then threw her overboard. The arrest ended an investigation that started in 2008, when Kocontes began transferring more than $1 million from Kaneski's bank accounts into joint accounts he held with his new wife. That prompted the FBI to begin seizure efforts and a criminal probe, prosecutors said. |
Arrest for murder - thrown overboard |
| February 12 | Fantasia MSC Cruises |
Brazilian press reports the search area for architect Luciano Lucca, 30, missing since Saturday night. The teams are now trying to find the tourist in high seas.The incident occurred in the channel of the Port in an area away from the river and beach moments before the ship starts its journey. However, more than 30 hours after the incident, the fire department mobilized its teams in the cities of São Vicente and Guaruja to enhance the search. Lucca was in a cab from the 11th floor of the ship, along with three other people when he fell from a height of about 40 meters, around 18:30. The Navy and Federal Police were triggered and performed on-site expertise, and the boat was only released around 0h20 Sunday. The Port filed an administrative proceeding to investigate the causes of the accident. Within 90 days, the procedure should determine the company or any member of the crew had responsibility in the case. The MSC Fantasia, the largest cruise ship that circulates Brazilian waters, has returned to the port of Santos scheduled for next Saturday, after undergoing Buzios (RJ), Salvador (BA) and Ilha Grande (RJ). |
Passenger overboard |
| February 10 | Independence of the Seas Royal Caribbean International |
Wales Online reportsaA family whose luxury holiday was ruined when they were struck down by illness were shocked to learn it was the fourth consecutive year complaints had been made about their cruise ship. What should have been a relaxing cruise for policeman Mark Jones and his family became a let-down after they were hit by a gastric illness which they say was “rife” on board the luxury liner on a cruise in October 2012. Mark said the holiday started off well with the family, but things turned sour six days into the holiday when Mark became ill. He said: “It started about 2am with vomiting and diarrhoea. I felt really rough. “It lasted for about three days and I missed out on the ports in Tenerife and Maderia.” His wife said she fell ill on the last day of the cruise. Mark said he and other passengers were given leaflets when they boarded the ship about an outbreak of gastric illness. But he said: “My son has type one diabetes so we were very worried about him contracting any type of illness. “If we’d known about it the week before we would have had the option to opt out and get a refund through our insurance.” He said: “We would walk up the corridor and see all these yellow stickers. From our cabin to the lifts we must have seen between 12 and 15 stickers without walking around the rest of the ship.” Mark said the holiday was a disappointment. | Possible lawsuit over illness outbreak |
| February 10 | Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines |
AL.Com reports more than 4,000 people are stuck in the Gulf of Mexico after a fire stopped the vessel's propulsion. The fire was contained to the engine room by the ship's automatic extinguishing system, but it appears to have damaged the ship's power supply. No injuries were reported in the fire. A tug boat has been dispatched to the cruise liner, which was stopped in its tracks 150 miles off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. The ship's technical crew is assessing damage and trying to restore power, according to officials. In the meantime, the ship is operating on power from an emergency generator. The U.S. Coast Guard has been advised of the situation. Guests will be given a full refund. The ship was finishing up a four-day cruise that left Galveston, Tex. on Thursday. It was supposed to leave Galveston again Monday with a new batch of guests, but the trip has been cancelled, according to the company. UPDATE Feb 12:CNN reports the first of two tugboats that will tow the ship to Mobile, Alabama, arrived on Monday evening. The ship should arrive in the Gulf city some time Thursday (turned out to be late that night). Not being able to sail, though, is just one of the problems. Issues with running water, scarce electricity and more contributed to headaches big and small, according to passengers and their loved ones. Toby Barlow's wife Ann told him there was "sewage running down the walls and floors" with passengers being asked to defecate in bags and urinate in showers due to a lack of functioning toilets. Food lines ran 3½ hours long and some, like herself, slept outside to keep cool. "Elderly and handicap(ped people) are struggling," she texted her husband. "The smells are gross." All cruises canceled through April 13. This video may be of interest. | Fire - Dead in the water |
| February 10 | Thomson Majesty Thomson Cruises |
The Guardian reports five people have died on a cruise ship operated by the holiday firm Thomson after a lifeboat fell from the vessel during an emergency drill at La Palma in the Canary islands, according to Spanish officials and reports. Three other people were injured in the incident, which was moored at the island's capital, Santa Cruz. Government officials quoted emergency services as saying crews were sent to the dock just after midday local time (12pm GMT) after "a lifeboat with occupants had fallen overboard from a cruise ship docked at the pier". Spanish reports identified the ship as the Majesty and said those dead were believed to be three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian. The country's media quoted police as saying the boat, carrying eight members of the ship's crew, dropped around 30 metres into the water before overturning. It was not known what caused the boat to fall. Those injured, two of whom were badly hurt, were identified as being two Greek nationals and one Filipino. | 5 crew die in accident |
| February 8 | Aurora P&O Cruises |
Tom's Cruise Blog reports there seems to have developed problems during her world cruise. A post on a forum includes this email to an about-to-embark passenger, advising them of a changed itinerary as a result of the problem: I am writing to you on behalf of your travel agent with some important news regarding your upcoming cruise on board Aurora’s 2013 World Cruise R301, departing from Auckland on Sunday 17th February 2013.While carrying out her World Cruise, Aurora has developed an unexpected fault with her port propeller shaft. There are absolutely no safety implications arising as a result of this fault, but it does have an impact on her maximum speed and repairs are required. To enable repairs to take place, Aurora will stay in Auckland for an extra day and will now depart on Monday 18th February. Embarkation for your cruise will still take place on Sunday, 17th February as planned. As a result of the extended stay in Auckland, the half day call to Napier and full day call to Wellington have unfortunately been cancelled. As a replacement, on departure from Auckland, Aurora will now sail directly to New Zealand’s Idyllic Bay of Islands for a full day call, arriving in the morning of 19th February. The revised itinerary is displayed in full below. | Propulsion problems - change of itinerary |
| February 7 | Golden Princess Princess Cruises |
The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 81 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| February 7 | Celebrity Cruises | The Dallas News reports Pat and Gerald Woods planned the details of their cruise for months, working with Mesquite Travel on the destination and ship, the excursions and air travel. The couple bought trip insurance in case something went wrong before they sailed from Seattle in May 2011. They asked what documents they would need for the 10-day cruise, which stopped in four Alaska ports and Victoria, British Columbia, before returning to Seattle. The answer to that question resulted in a nearly two-year dispute between the couple, the travel agency and Celebrity Cruises. The couple say they knew that Gerald’s passport was expired, so Pat asked the agent at Mesquite Travel whether one would be necessary for the trip. She says she was told three separate times that he could make the trip without one. He arrived with his driver’s license, but that wasn’t adequate documentation, and it became apparent as soon as they were met at the plane by Celebrity staffers. They traveled on to the ship dock to talk to officials, but they were told “in no uncertain terms, that we would not sail without a passport because we would be in Canadian waters part of the time,” Pat said. The couple flew back to Texas on the same day they left. They were out $4,623 for the cruise, airfare and other trip expenses. They filed for their trip insurance from Celebrity Cruises when they got home, but their claim was refused. The CruiseCare insurance policy lists just five categories for which it will pay off, and even some of those have restrictions. “According to the information submitted, your interruption was due to insufficient travel documentation. Unfortunately, your reason for interruption is not among the specified reasons listed in the program that would make one eligible for a cash refund,” said the letter they received. The couple next argued through their credit card for reimbursement of the $1,765.48 they’d charged. They lost that ruling, despite the fact that Celebrity incorrectly said they had failed to show at the pier. Celebrity says online that “all U.S. citizens on cruises that begin and end at the same port in the U.S. will be able to enter or depart the country with proof of citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate and laminated government-issued picture ID, denoting photo, name and date of birth.” In another section about required travel documents, the cruise line says that U.S. citizens on Alaska cruises must have a passport. Because much of the information provided by the cruise line is governmentspeak and sometimes contradicts itself, I asked Celebrity about the couple’s case, hoping for some compassion and perhaps a discount toward future travel. That didn’t happen. | Don't forget your passport |
| February 5 | Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Cruises |
A Cruise Critic member reports Bill fell in St. Martins. Thought it was just some bruses and a left ankle sprain. The next morning started putting ice packs on ankle and went down to infirmary about 1:00. It was closed, but I talked to nurse, who said if I really thought it was an emergency, she would call the Dr. And charge me 200.00. Since I wasn't sure it was an emergency, we decided to wait until 4:00 wen the infirmary opened. When the Dr. X-ray my ankle, he said I had broken my Achilles' tendon and wanted me to get emergency surgery in Antigua. When I refused, he and the Captain had strong words and the next thing I knew, I was placed in a wheelchair and taken to the gangway and told me my wife would be joining me. They packed our room in about 15 mintes and put us on the pier. We waved to a few of you as the ship pulled out. We were sent to a hotel, had supper, then repacked our bags so we could fly. Then we went to the emergency room for about 10 hours. They were also upset that we would not let them do surgery, but after seeing the condition of the hospital, we know we made the right decision. We were able to get a flight to Miami and then to Charlotte, NC where we rented a car and drove to Columbia, SC. The emergency room there said surgery was a remote possibility. We contacted an orthopedic surgeon on Monday, he redid the cast and told us that the Romans used to cut the Achilles' tendon of slaves, because they could still work but couldn't run! So, we are now of the opinion that the ship Dr. was not current and we were put off the ship with no good reason. We have Travelguard medical and evacuation insurance, so we won't lose any money, but will miss the cruise. | Medical care issue |
| February 3 | Seven Seas Voyager Regent Seven Seas Cruises |
Australian press reports police in Darwin are investigating the death of a 24-year-old cruise ship employee (a singer with Jean Ann Ryan Productions) found dead on the ship in Darwin. The young woman's body was found in her cabin today, Commander Richard Bryson of the Territory's Crime and Specialist Support Command said. "The woman was a staff member on a cruise ship which is currently moored in Darwin Harbour," Commander Bryson said. In a statement to the media Commander Bryson refused to release any further details about the case, but did confirm that a crime scene has been established. "A crime scene was established as the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident continues." Boston dot com reports the death has been ruled nonsuspicious. | Crew death |
| February 1 | Norwegian Epic Norwegian Cruise Line |
Cruise Critic reports the father of an 11-year-old autistic boy is seeking an explanation from Norwegian Cruise Line after Kid's Club crew failed to notice the boy had disappeared from the club on the last evening of the ship's Thanksgiving cruise (November 23, 2012) after Richard Zelden and his wife dropped off their three children at the ship's Recess Kid's Club before going to dinner. When they returned to their cabin two hours later, they discovered their oldest son, an 11-year-old autistic boy, in a cabin two doors down where the cabin steward watched over him. "We were taken aback as we knew he had been signed into the Kid's Club and did not have signing privileges to exit alone." The steward further explained he had been cleaning their cabin when the boy entered the room alone. Not sure what to do, he called his supervisor to report the child's arrival. He was told to take care of the boy until his parents returned. Zelden went to the Kids' Club to find out what had happened. While Zelden told Cruise Critic he would like to know how his son got out of the kid's facility and navigated his way from Deck 14 Forward to the cabin on Deck 11 Aft, he is primarily angry over the fear he and his wife felt because their child was not protected. "This is the safety of a child that's involved," he said. "We are grateful that he didn't go up to Deck 15 to the pool area." Two months later, Zelden still doesn't know how his son got out. He told Cruise Critic he wants a more thorough response than given by NCL. He also wasn't pleased with the $1,500 future cruise credit he was offered -- if he had signed a nondisclosure agreement. | Child "misplaced" |
| February 1 | Sea Princess Princess Cruises |
From a passenger (thought it would be of interest): “We were on board the Sea Princess 3 days into a cruise around New Zealand (January 16th) when a little after 5am we were awoken by an urgent announcement coming over the stateroom loud speaker. The Captain, apologizing for the interruption at this time stated they had a serious medical emergency on-board and asked for blood donors of types A+ and/or O-. If at all possible they should immediately report to the medical centre. I quickly got dressed, found my blood donor card and went down to the Medical Centre on the lower deck. When I arrived some 5 minutes later there were already about 3 people there ready to donate – some still in nightwear! I spoke to the Medical Officer/Doctor who was very grateful but said they had enough donors at present . He took a few details just in case. Speaking with the other passengers I understand a passenger was already donating blood. The ship arrived in Port Chalmers (the Port for Dunedin) about 3 hours later. As soon as the gangway was safely in place we saw a passenger being transferred by stretcher to a waiting ambulance on the wharf. In the restaurant that evening the Captain, once again apologizing for the interruption, said that due to numerous requests about the passengers well being he was able to report the patient was in a “critical, but stable condition”, he continued on to say, that he wanted to sincerely thank the blood donors for the response. Some 40 people had attended to donate. Everyone in the restaurant clapped and applauded!. On our last sea-day at the end of the cruise, the Captain, following his noon day announcement, was able to add the patient was well enough to fly home.” | Pax respond to a Medical emergency |
| January 30 | Pacific Pearl P&O Australia |
Channel 9 (New Zealand) reports the ship has cancelled a Friday visit after extreme weather off Sydney. | Canceled port call |
| January 29 | Golden Princess Princess Cruises |
KTOO News reports te company has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine for dumping water from on-board swimming pools into Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in 2011. The fine was announced by the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday, along with six other enforcement actions taken in Alaska late last year. In a signed consent agreement and final court order, the EPA says Princess violated the Clean Water Act in May 2011 when more than 66,000 gallons of pool water was discharged into Glacier Bay. The order says there was a software malfunction on the ship the Golden Princess, causing the pool dump valves to open. The malfunction allowed chlorinated water from six of the ship’s pools and spas to drain into the national park and preserve. Princess notified the EPA of the discharges the next day. The wastewater permit for large cruise ships prohibits the discharge of pool or spa water in national parks and refuges. The federal Clean Water Act allows the EPA to fine cruise companies for permit violations. | Environmental offense |
| January 29 | Unknown | Associated Press reports Egyptian police officials say a cruise ship has run aground on the Nile River near the southern city of Aswan, but all 120 people aboard are safe. The officials said the ship was travelling to the city of Luxor, north of Aswan, when it hit rocks and took in water before running aground on Tuesday Local villagers and police helped rescue all 120 Egyptian passengers and crew. None of the passengers were injured, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. | Aground |
| January 28 | Carnival Legend Carnival Cruise Lines |
From a passenger:We sailed the Carnival Legend Jan 13 - 20 2013 and after our Asst Waiter was off one evening for what he said was the flu a number in our party became ill. As of now there are 32 of 33 people from our group who became ill. | Illness (flu) |
| January 27 | Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines |
From a letter sent to passengers: On her current cruise, the ship experienced a technical problem with the ship's propulsion system that is only affecting her maximum cruising speed. All other safety systems and hotel services are functioning normally. Consequently, she will be delayed arriving tomorrow and is now expected to be alongside at approximately 12:00 PM (noon) -- approximately 6 hours late. | Propulsion problems |
| January 27 | Norwegian Gem Norwegian Cruise Line |
From a passenger at 2:30 PM: There was a major delay embarking today due to woman having heart attack on board today. Priority embarkation not recognized and customers still awaiting to get on. From a reader: I see in your incidents that someone who was getting on the Norwegian Gem on 1/27 reported that the reason for the delay in boarding was due to a person having a heart attack on board. I was on the 1//18 cruise. When we left Samana, DR during the night a woman had an appendicitis attack and we had to head back toward Puerto Rico to meet a Coast Guard helicopter to pick her up. That delayed our arrival in NYC by 3 hours. We had dinner with the head of safety in a Dinner with the officers. It was the first time he had been part of a rescue at sea and was telling us all about it. | Late departure |
| January 24 | Grand Princess Princess Cruises |
Bermuda Sun reports two employees appeared in Magistrates’ Court today facing serious sex assault charges on the ship. The two European men, 26 and 27-years-old, were charged with sexually assaulting a woman on the ship on January 12. The court heard the men were employees on the ship. The alleged victim was an employee as well. Magistrate Juan Wolffe gave the men $5,000 bail each with a surety. They must surrender their travel documents, report to the Hamilton Police Station on Monday and Friday, have no contact with the complainant and must not leave the island. The two reappear on 7th February 2013 for a Preliminary Inquiry. | Sexual assault |
| January 24 | Carnival Destiny Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Critic reports the ship has altered the itinerary of its five-day cruise, which departed Miami on January 21, due to technical problems with its stern thrusters. Rather than call on Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay as originally scheduled, the ship will instead stop in Key West and Freeport, Bahamas. Neither of the original ports has the tug boats needed to assist the ship in the absence of its stern thrusters. The repair work on the stern thruster is already underway and is expected to be completed before the start of the next cruise scheduled for January 26. | Propulsion problems |
| January 23 | Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Law News reports a lawsuit was filed last week alleging that Carnival served a young woman two margaritas, a Mojito and three double vodka drinks. Weighing only 118 pounds, the passenger was visibly intoxicated but the Carnival bartenders kept pouring drinks to the woman and her friends, one of whom was so drunk that she vomited on her. Carnival crew members and officers were observed openly fraternizing and drinking alcohol with women in the ship's bar and disco club. The lawsuit alleges after the woman was intoxicated, two upper level Carnival ship employees, both large men, physically pinned down the wrists of the petite, small framed woman and took turns raping her. One Carnival employee sodomized her. The lawsuit states that the two men humiliated the woman and laughed at her when she resisted and protested. The theory of liability against Carnival is that the cruise line routinely over-serves alcohol to its passengers in order to increase profits and it does not maintain an adequate level of security to protect women on its cruise ships. While Carnival encourages excessive alcohol consumption, it does not enforce its alleged "zero tolerance" policy against crew - guest fraternization. In addition to the negligence allegations, the lawsuit asserts that the cruise lines is vicariously and strictly liable for the criminal conduct of its employees. | Sexual assault - lawsuit filed |
| January 23 | Caribbean or Emerald Princess Princess Cruises |
From a reader: An elderly couple from one of the two ships in Aruba today was crossing the street, when the woman stepped in front of and was hit by a passing taxi. (Her husband was ahead of her and had crossed safely.) She was visibly injured, with cuts and maybe broken bones. Police, newsmen, and two nurses attended to the woman until the emergency ambulance arrived twenty minutes later. The woman was placed on a board and taken to the hospital. The condition of the woman is not known. | Injury ashore |
| January 22 | Fram Hurtigruten |
BBC reports the crew of the Royal Navy's Portsmouth-based ice patrol vessel has rescued a cruise ship threatened by Antarctic ice. HMS Protector broke through thick ice to free the ship when it became surrounded by fast moving floes in Antarctic Sound. No-one was hurt during the operation which took two hours. Captain Peter Sparkes said HMS Protector was "the Royal Navy's equivalent of a Swiss army knife". Working at a speed of two knots, HMS Protector broke the four-metre thick ice, which had trapped the cruise ship's bow, in two hours. The area is prone to changes in winds and local currents, and ships can quickly become trapped, sometimes for weeks, when the concentration of pack ice increases. MS Fram, which is purpose-built for sailing in polar waters was on a tour of the Antarctic Peninsula when the incident happened on 15 January. USA Today reports Hurtigruten is downplaying media reports of the rescue. In a short statement, the line says that what a Royal Navy press release referred to earlier today as a "extremely impressive feat" of aid by the HMS Protector was little more than a "friendly gesture between two ships." The line says the HMS Protector, an icebreaker, offered Hurtigruten's 276-passenger Fram assistance in getting to and from a landing spot for passengers in Antarctica called Brown Bluff. "The ship was therefore escorted in and out of Brown Bluff by HMS Protector," the statement says. "This was a friendly gesture between two ships who are all part of the same 'family' when sailing in the remote areas of Antarctica." | Rescued from ice |
| January 22 | Disney Dream Disney Cruise Line |
NBC News reports a woman was arrested because of a bill she didn't pay 22 years ago and to make matters worse, she's also been stuck in jail for the last four days. She shoplifted cigarettes from a Wal-Mart back in 1991. For that she owes the state $85. The 22-year-old crime followed the Connecticut native to Port Canaveral, Florida Thursday where she, her husband and two kids were wrapping up a vacation. The family had been aboard the ship and Brevard County police officers were waiting for her as she left the boat. Police said the woman failed to pay the $85 in court costs when she was 18 and when they checked the ship's passenger list for terrorists, they found a warrant for her. NOTE: This is not posted to pick on Disney -- it is meant to remind folks that it is not uncommon for passengers to be arrested on outstanding warrants when they re-enter the US from a cruise ship (any ship). | Arrested when coming ashore |
| January 21 | SagaSapphire Saga Holidays |
Press in Vigo, Spain reports the ship encountered some bad weather on her cruise back to the UK from Lisbon on 19 January and had to seek shelter in Vigo, northern Spain. All facilities are working normally on board. Passengers were advised to remain in their cabin with full room service during the storm but full dining service was resumed by the time Sapphire entered Vigo bay. The storm abated and the ship left Vigo at 6am the following morning, 20 January, and is currently sailing for Southampton. Her arrival has unfortunately been delayed by a day and will now be on Tuesday, 22 January. Consequently, the following cruise, the Caribbean Spice Isles cruise, will commence one day late. | Take refuge from storm / Delay next cruise |
| January 20 | Costa Serena Costa Cruises |
Cruise Law News reports the death this week of a crew member aboard the ship. The incident involved a 47-year-old Indonesian crew member, identified as Sahid Bin Fauzi, who worked as a mechanic on the Costa Serena. He reportedly died after falling into a ventilation duct of one of the ship's engines, apparently while working on the maintenance of fan grids. The cruise ship was off the coast of Argentina. Other crew members reported Mr. Fauzi's "disappearance," following which the ship's chief engineer searched and located the crew member's lifeless body in the vertical ventilation shaft. | Crew member accidental death |
| January 20 | Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Lines |
From a passenger: I wanted to let you know that my husband and I sailed on the Carnival Victory January 13th out of Puerto Rico. We were supposed to depart Sunday evening at 10 pm but the Captain came on and said due to scheduled maintenance taking longer than expected, we would be leaving late but would still arrive in St Thomas at 7 am the next morning, on schedule. About half an hour later he came on and said the same thing. The next morning we awoke still in Puerto Rico, and were then told there was an issue with the propulsion system that only affected maximum cruising speed but all other systems continued to operate normally. We departed Puerto Rico at partial power and were told were would arrive in St. Thomas by 2 pm. We finally arrived a few minutes before 5. We all received a letter as well (unfortunately I did not think to keep it) which is eerily similar to the letter you have posted regarding the Triumph's January 27th trip. All passengers were issued a 50.00 credit per person. Thankfully our propulsion issue was fixed in St. Thomas and the rest of the cruise continued as scheduled, but I was disappointed in how Carnival handled the situation. They had to be aware of the propulsion issue the first evening and instead chose to tell passengers it was scheduled maintenance. | Propulsion problems |
| January 20 | Seadream II Seadream Yacht Club | The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 84 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| January 19 | Carnival Fascination Carnival Cruise Lines |
First Coast News reports security guards at the cruise terminal at Jacksonville were turning cruise passengers out of the parking lot this afternoon and directing them to places in town to kill some time. The ship was on its way back from dry-dock in the Bahamas when it encountered adverse weather conditions throughout the night. The ship was scheduled to arrive at 6:00 p.m., but boarding was pushed back to 8 p.m. Saturday. The cruise ship is to leave port at around 11:00 p.m., seven hours behind its original schedule. | Delayed departure |
| January 19 | Celebrity Summit Celebrity Cruises |
The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 81 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| January 18 | Caribbean Fantasy American Cruise Ferries |
The ship failed its inspection by the Vessel Sanitation Program with a score of 81 (a failing score is anything below 86). | Failed health inspection |
| January 15 | Silver Explorer Silversea Cruises |
CruiseInd reports four people are confirmed to have been injured after a huge wave hit the ship while on her way to Antarctica. The 1A ice classed vessel had set sail at the beginning of the year from Ushuaia with 130 passengers onboard when she sailed into a storm near Tierra del Fuego. 8 meter swells had been battering the ship when one window on the bridge blew out. Silversea Cruises released this statement: The vessel has full power and control, with stabilizers in good working order. She is now on her way back to port. The cruise has been ended early, the next cruise scheduled for Jan 21 has been canceled to allow for repairs to be completed. | Wave damages bridge |
| January 12 | P&O Cruises | Merco Press reports the cruise line has scrapped stops in Argentina because of continuing tensions with the country over the Falkland Islands. Two of its vessels will no longer dock at three Argentine port destinations on around-the-world cruises. The decision was taken because there was no guarantee they will be able to dock. The ships – Arcadia and Adonia – are also visiting Port Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands, on the cruises leaving Southampton next month. Argentine port authorities have recently refused permission for other cruise ships to dock after they had visited the Falklands or have simply adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards radical groups hounding passengers or delaying docking operations. |
Canceled calls to Argentinian ports |
| January 11 | Carnival Splendor Carnival Cruise Lines |
Cruise Critic reports the ship's January 13 cruise out of Los Angeles has been delayed a full day because of longer than anticipated repairs to the ship's propulsion shafts. Passengers will receive compensation for the inconvenience. According to the company, "On the previous cruise, the Carnival Splendor required necessary repairs on the seals of the ship's propulsion shafts as a result of damage caused by underwater fishing nets… Unfortunately, the repairs are taking longer than expected and the ship will need to remain in Puerto Vallarta until this afternoon." The originally scheduled six-night cruise will be shortened by one day and the port call to Puerto Vallarta has been canceled. The new itinerary will be: Los Angeles departure (4:30 p.m.), day at sea, two days in Cabo San Lucas; day at sea; return to Los Angeles (9 a.m.). Affected cruisers will receive a one-day prorated refund of the cruise fare, $50 per person onboard credit, refund of the difference in government fees and taxes, gratuity adjustment, refund for shore excursions purchased for Puerto Vallarta and up to $200 reimbursement for fees related to air changes. Passengers may also cancel if they wish for a full refund or may switch to another sail date. | Itinerary change (one day canceled) |
| January 10 | Aurora P&O Cruises |
The Edinburgh Evening News reports a woman whose dream cruise turned into a “living nightmare” has been awarded more than £8500 compensation – amid claims the ship’s drinking water was poisoned. The 65-year-old said scores of passengers were laid up sickon the Januray 2009 cruise while staff, wearing protective clothing and masks, carried out a deep clean of the vessel. “There were hundreds of us that were sick, the entire corridor I was on was ill. We were just handed antibiotics and isolated in our cabins where we were fed our meals on trays for a few days. “I felt worryingly weak and dehydrated and lost a lot of weight. I developed a constant feeling of nausea, tiredness and severe abdominal pains which still effect me even now. It was horrible." The ship was off the coast of Africa when it happened. Passengers had reported seeing so-called “grey water” – waste water – and claim staff told them it was the result of sewerage in the air conditioning. The ship's owners paid out the money on condition they did not accept liability. | Payout for illness |
| January 9 | Carnival Cruise Lines | Travel Weekly reports Carnival is forgoing some port calls in Belize through the end of 2013 for two ships because the port has become too congested, Carnival said. “Although we have a confirmed berth in Belize, local officials accepted calls for additional ships. Consequently, their tender capacity is not able to effectively handle the increased volume of guests without creating long delays and limiting your time ashore,” Carnival said in a letter to customers. “Despite our best efforts, we have been unable to come to an acceptable agreement with Belize Port Authority regarding this situation. The Carnival Glory and the Carnival Legend, two ships that had scheduled calls in Belize this year, instead will call in Costa Maya, Mexico, for 10 departures. | Canceled port calls |
| January 7 | Saga Ruby Saga Holidays |
The Daily Echo reports checks carried out by staff this morning in Southampton revealed a problem with the ship's crankshaft. Saga says it could cause a delay of up to two weeks to the 100-night cruise. It was subsequently reported that the delay would be 10 days. | Mechanical problems - delayed departure |
| January 5 | Seabourn Sojourn Seabourn Cruises Star Princess Princess Cruises |
The Independent reports Argentinian protesters disrupted the cruise ship industry today as they demonstrated for the Falklands Islands to be handed over. The nationalist activists targeted the two ships as they docked in Buenos Aires after stopping at the Falklands. Their anger was inflamed today by the publication of a “hands off” the Falklands advert in Argentina by The Sun newspaper. Protestors burnt copies of the newspaper along with Union flags. The advert was published in the wake of President Kirchner’s most recent attempt to put pressure on the UK to sever ties with the Falklands when she wrote an open letter to David Cameron which was published in several UK newspapers, accusing him of colonialism and demanding negotiations be opened. According to The Telegraph, hundreds of passengers were prevented from leaving their vessels by protesters angry at the “illegal” visits to the disputed South Atlantic islands .Ministers condemned the unprecedented wave of “blackmail” and “intimidation” and called on militants to “allow cruise ships to travel without threats or hindrance”. Protesters accused the shipsof stopping at provinces across the region, including the Falklands and Tierra del Fuego, in violation of a provincial law. The so-called “Gaucho Rivero” law is active in five provinces, including Tierra del Fuego, whose capital is Ushuaia, and prohibits British ships involved in the "exploitation of natural resources" around the Falklands from docking. Activists insist it should also apply to cruise liners. | Demonstration |
Click here for events in 2012 |
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